THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


BEQUEST  OF 
YNEZ  GHIRARDELLI 


p 


HISTORY 

OF  THE 

HAWAIIAN  OR  SANDWICH  ISLANDS, 


EMBRACING  THEIK 


BY  JAMES  JACKSON  JARVES, 
Member  of  the  Am.  Oriental  Society. 

With  Maps  and  Plates. 

PUBLISHED  BY  JAMES  MUNROE  AND  COMPANY 

134  Washington-Street,  Boston. 


'  The  book  is  carefully  prepared  and  furnishes  a  highly  attractive 
narrative.  The  ground  over  which  the  author  has  passed  has  been 
almost  entirely  untrod  before  him,  and  the  history  will  be  quite 
new,  we  believe,  to  almost  all  readers.  It  is  a  history  full  of  its 
passages  of  romance,  —  for  these  islands  have  not  been  exempted 
from  the  stirring  excitements  of  larger  communities.'  —  Boston 
Daily  Advertiser. 

'  The  work  bears  the  marks  of  great  attention  and  patient  research  ; 
the  narrative  is  easy,  flowing,  and  spirited,  in  a  style  adapted  to  the 
subject.'  —  Philadelphia  Christian  Observer. 

'  Mr.  J.  has  produced  an  excellent  and  permanently  valuable  book.' 
—  Boston  Recorder. 

'  It  supplies  a  deficiency  in  our  literature,  and  is  finished  in  such 
a  manner  that  it  will  not  have  to  be  done  again.  This  work  will 
be  a  favorite;  it  affords  information  not  easily  found  elsewhere,  and 
if  attainable  at  all,  only  to  be  collected  by  great  labor,  and  from  a 
variety  of  sources.'  —  Baptist  Memorial  and  Monthly  Chronicle. 

'  There  is  always  something  intensely  interesting  in  watching  the 
gradual  development  of  civilization  in  any  country,  and  we  know 
of  none  of  the  little  green  spots  of  earth  rising  out  of  the  bosom  of 
the  ocean  for  the  habitations  of  man,  where  this  is  more  true  than 
of  the  Sandwich  Islands.  Considered  as  bearing  upon  the  interests 
of  France,  England,  and  America,  these  islands  are  of  vast  political 
importance,  yet  to  the  eye  of  the  philanthropist  and  the  philosopher, 
they  furnish  other  material  of  abundant  speculation  and  contem 
plation  ;  and  the  history  Mr.  Jas.  J.  Jarves  has  here  given  us  is  as 
really  interesting  in  its  arrangement  and  management  as  in  its  ma 
terial.  Writing  from  personal  observation,  we  have  a  faithful  de 
scription  from  the  best  means  of  its  attainments,  since  no  hearsay 
evidence  can  equal  that  of  the  bodily  organs  ;  and  while  the  present 
is  displayed  in  the  colors  of  existing  truth,  the  past  has  been  nar 
rowly  investigated  to  furnish  its  own  history.  Thus,  Mr.  Jarves  has 
produced  a  really  capable  and  interesting  work,  into  which  is 
crowded  a  vast  mass  of  information,  of  which,,  perhaps,  the  most 
important  feature  is  the  theology  of  the  land,  though  its  domestic 
usages  might  seem  to  rival  such  a  preference.'  —  London  Metropolitan 
Magazine. 


HISTORY    OF    THE    HAWAIIAN     OR    SANDWICH    ISLANDS. 

'  The  history  before  us  is  drawn  up  with  a  philosophic  spirit, 
and  is  ably  written  from  authentic  materials.'  —  Polytechnic  Review. 

'The  book  is  cleverly  written,  and  we  have  read  it  with  interest. 
It  has  merit  of  an  enduring  kind,  and  commends  itself  10  attention 
on  general  grounds.' —  London  Examiner. 

'  The  volume  abounds  in  valuable  information.'  —  London  Inquirer. 

'This  book  possesses  merit,  and  is  of  both  value  and  interest,  as 
a  fresh  and  faithful  picture  of  a  group  of  the  human  family  placed 
under  very  peculiar  circumstances.' —  TaiCs  Edinburgh  Magazine. 

1  The  work  may  be  recommended  to  the  reader  as  a  well-told  his 
torical  and  personal  narrative,  relating  to  the  most  important  clus 
ter  in  the  Pacific.'  —  Westminster  Review. 

'  An  able  and  interesting  work,  of  which  we  cannot  but  speak  in 
terms  of  the  highest  commendation.'  —  London  Atlas. 

'  VVe  hardly  know  when  we  have  read  a  more  interesting  work 
of  its  kind.' —  National  Intelligencer. 

1  A  highly  interesting  and  valuable  work.'  —  Democratic  Review. 

'  Mr.  Jarves  gives  us  a  volume  of  four  hundred  pages,  got  up  in  a 
style  as  far  ahead  of  the  trashy  publications  of  the  day.  as  his  per 
formance  is  superior  to  them.  The  book  contains  intrinsic  evi 
dence  of  his  qualifications  for  the  task,  in  addition  to  the  fact  that 
he  spent  four  years  among  the  Hawaiian  group,  and  devoted  himself 
most  diligently  to  the  study  of  all  matters  concerning  it.  The  re 
sult  is  truly  refreshing.  Hitherto  we  have  thought  that  the  med 
dling  of  missionaries  with  the  affairs  of  the  native  government  was 
improper,  impertinent,  and  injudicious  ;  but  Mr.  Jarves  has  set  the 
matter  in  another  light,  and  satisfied  us,  as  he  will  every  one  who 
reads  the  book,  that  not  to  have  interfered  as  they  have  done  would 
have  been  wanting  to  their  duty,  not  only  as  apostles  of  the  cro?s, 
but  as  men.  We  never  read  a  book  more  exactly  what  it  should 
be.'  —  Hunt's  Merchants'  Magazine. 

'  His  book  bears  many  signs  of  diligence  in  collecting  materials, 
and  he  appears  to  have  used  them  with  judgment.  The  details, 
which  he  gives  of  the  intrigues  and  petty  quarrels  of  the  chief  per 
sonages  in  this  microcosm  of  a  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  are 
singularly  minute  for  a  country  without  any  records  except  songs 
and  traditions.  The  language  is  clear  and  energetic  ;  the  intro 
ductory  chapters,  especially,  are  excellent  specimens  of  descriptive 
writing. 

'  There  is  much,  also,  suggestive  of  new  ideas  to  any  one  of  a 
speculative  mind,  in  his  sketches  of  the  rapid  civilization  of  the 
people  of  this  small  cluster  of  islands,  of  the  working  of  their 
feudal  system  and  constitutional  monarchy,  and  of  the  management 
of  their  House  of  Representatives  and  their  double  Executive. 

'  Its  literary  merits,  however,  apart  from  the  political  importance 
of  the  information  which  it  contains,  will  gain  for  it  many  readers.* 
—  North  American  Review. 


PREFACE. 


;  IT  was  designed  to  interweave,  with  the  civil  and 
political  account  of  the  nation,  a  series  of  sketches, 
illustrative  of  their  present  life  and  condition,  and 
other  interesting  points,  which  would  have  enlivened 
a  bare  narrative  of  facts ;  also,  to  have  pictured  the 
wondrous  natural  phenomena  of  that  prolific  poriion 
of  the  Pacific,  the  great  volcanic  eruption  of  1840 ; 
and  a  full  account  of  the  mightiest  of  craters,  the 
gigantic  Lua  Pele,  or  Kilauea,  in  Hawaii.  But  it 
would  have  swelled  the  volume  to  an  unwieldy  size.' 
4  At  an  early  period  will  be  presented  an  additional 
volume,  which,  without  being  connected  with  the 
present,  will  give  in  detail  all  that  is  necessary  to 
form  a  correct  view  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  their 
condition,  prospects,  the  every-day  concerns  of  the 
people,  and  missionary  life  as  it  now  exists ;  the  two 
to  form  a  succinct  whole,  illustrating  each  other.'  — 
From  Preface  to  '  History  of  the  Hawaiian  or  Sand 
wich  Islands? 


21454 


VI  PREFACE. 

This  volume  is  in  fulfilment  of  that  pledge.  In 
it,  I  have  attempted  to  delineate  that  which  came 
within  my  immediate  observation,  during  a  residence 
of  four  years  on  the  Group.  As  a  description  of  the 
familiar  life  of  a  people,  in  a  novel  and  interesting 
position,  one  which  may  with  propriety  be  termed  a 
state  of  transition  from  barbarism  to  civilization,  it 
may  attract  the  attention,  and  interest  the  sympa 
thies,  of  readers  of  all  classes. 

A  portion  of  these  sketches  have  been  previously 
published  in  journals,  and  had  some  circulation,  both 
in  Europe  and  the  United  States.  Such,  though  re 
vised,  will  readily  be  recognized  by  the  reader  who 
has  met  with  them  elsewhere. 

BOSTON,  NOVEMBER,  1843. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I 

Land,  Ho !  —  Hawaii  in  the  Distance.  Reflections  upon  visit 
ing  for  the  first  time  the  Isles  of  the  Pacific.  Coast  Scenery. 
Oahu.  Its  Capital,  Honolulu.  Harbor.  Prevailing  Winds. 
Former  Town.  Present  Streets.  Puahi,  or  Punch-bowl  Hill. 
Battery  —  View  from.  Whirlwinds.  Fort.  Governor  Keku- 
anaoa.  Militia  Drill.  Palace.  Residence  of  the  Premier  Ke- 
kauluohi.  Her  Sister,  Kinau — Burial  of.  Churches.  Lit 
erary  and  Benevolent  Institutions.  Schools.  Annual  Festivals 
and  Holydays.  Population  of  Honolulu.  Society,  foreign  and 
native.  Groggeries.  Sailor  Dissipation.  Police.  Climate. 
Commerce.  A  Stranger's  first  Impressions.  Native  Manners. 
Mission  Buildings.  Street  Scenes.  Dog  Feast.  Saturday 
Afternoon.  Nuuanu  Valley.  Taro  Plant.  Country  Resi 
dences.  Scenery  of  the  Valley.  Battle.  Pali,  or  Precipice.  13 


CHAPTER  II. 

Village  of  Waikiki.  Ruined  House.  Diamond  Head.  Ruin 
ed  Temple.  Manoa  Valley.  Singular  Crater.  White  Man 
turned  Savage.  Little  Old  Man — Anecdote  of.  Chief  hung. 
Forgery.  Sunday  at  Honolulu.  At  Tahiti.  Fashions.  Re 
markable  disappearance  of  Dresses  after  Religious  Service. 
Corsets  in  use  —  Out  of  use.  Chiefs  Entertainments.  Extra 
ordinary  Preparations  in  honor  of  Captain  Finch,  U.  S.  N. 
Children  of  Missionaries.  Danger  to  their  Morals.  Painful 
instances  of  Degradation  at  Tahiti.  Boarding-School  Estab- 


Vlil  CONTENTS. 

lished  at  Oahu.  Sports  of  Native  Youth.  Musical  Kites. 
Pearl  River.  Ewa.  Church  and  Station.  Waialua.  Manual 
Labor  School.  Its  Success.  Ruins  of  a  Temple,  and  Site  of 
a  Tribe  of  Cannibals.  North  Side  of  Oahu.  Legends.  Love 
of  the  Marvellous.  Poetry.  Example  of  Modern  Style. 
Shipwrecked  Japanese  —  Account  of.  System  of  Numerals.  59 


CHAPTER  III. 

Koloa  Packet.  Voyage.  Companions.  Devotions  of  Ha- 
waiian  Crew.  Appearance  of  Kauai.  Its  Situation.  Harbors. 
Koloa  Scenery.  Sugar  Plantations  —  History  of.  Paper  Money. 
Counterfeit  do.  Sugar-cane.  Quality  of  Soil.  Profits  of 
Sugar.  Probable  Success  in  its  Culture.  Effect  of  Foreign 
Capital  and  Enterprise  upon  Natives.  Old  System  of  Labor. 
Present.  A  Novel  Race.  Market  Day.  Trading.  Culture  of 
Silk.  Rapidity  of  Growth  of  the  Mulberry.  Different  Species 
of  Silk-worms.  Cross-breeds.  Loss  of  Capital  invested  in  Silk- 
business  at  Koloa.  Fatality  of  the  Tre^s  and  Worms.  Causes. 
A  Beautiful,  but  Secluded  Spot.  News  from  'Home.'  A  Cov 
etous  Governess.  A  Singular  Excursion.  Mouna  Kahili.  A 
Legend.  A  Predatory  Chieftain.  Reflections  upon  his  Fate. 
Valley  of  Hanapepe.  Surf-swimming.  Remarkable  Freaks  of 
Nature.  A  Cataract.  Great  Mortality  at  Hanapepe.  A  Ne 
cessary  though  Sudden  Marriage.  Good  Condition  of  Roads. 
Who  keeps  them  so.  Town  of  WTaimea.  Capital  of  the  Island. 
Amelia,  the  Governess.  Mission  Houses.  Residences  of  the 
Rulers.  A  Straw  Palace.  A  Fine  Canoe.  Fort.  Niihau. 
First  Introduction  of  Fleas.  Soil  of  Kauai.  Geological  Fea 
tures.  Mountains.  Uplands  and  Lowlands.  Pali.  Remark 
able  Caves.  Spouting- Horn.  Rivers.  Great  Body  of  Arable 
Land.  Trades.  Climate.  Storms.  Minerals,  &c.  .  .  87 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Travelling  in  Kauai.  Horse  and  Equipments.  Crazy  Guide. 
Stuttering  Jim.  Cruelty  of  a  Chief.  Narrow  Escape  of  a  Mis 
sionary.  Gov.  Kaikoewa's  Embryo  City.  His  Harbor.  Brig 
in  trouble.  Desire  of  Natives  to  display  their  Knowledge  of 


CONTENTS.  IX 

English.  Wailua  River  and  Village.  An  Ex-queen.  Her 
History.  Hospitality.  Large  Cattle.  A  Disappointed  Sports 
man.  Celebrated  Falls  of  Wailua.  Singular  Freak  of  a  Chief. 
Two  Hawaiian  Sam  Patches.  Inland  Scenery.  Mauna  Waia- 
leale.  Wild  Swine.  Dogs.  Degradation  of  Kauaian  Women. 
Obtain  some  Crania,  and  a  New  Title  in  consequence.  Hos 
pitality  of  Common  People.  Offices  and  Titles.  Anahola. 
A  Veteran  of  Kamehameha.  Prince  of  Laziness.  Lomi-lomi. 
A  Temple  of  God's  own  building.  A  Dangerous  Ford.  Roads 
to  Waioli.  A  Labor  of  Love.  Valley  of  Kalihiwai.  Hala 
Forest.  Waioli.  River  and  Mountains.  Residents.  Agricul 
tural  Operations.  Silk  Plantation.  A  Chronological  Wood 
Pile.  .  139 


CHAPTER  V. 

Island  of  Maui.  Its  Capital.  Seat  of  Government.  Pal 
ace.  His  Majesty,  Kamehameha  III.  His  Spouse.  Products 
of  Maui.  '  House  of  the  Sun.'  Female  Seminary  at  Wailuku. 
High  School  at  Lahainaluna.  Native  Historical  Society.  Re 
flective  and  Perceptive  Powers  of  the  Hawaiians.  Influence 
of  the  American  Missionaries  over  the  Common  People.  Dis 
crepant  Statements  of  Travellers — Causes  of.  State  of  Re 
ligion,  as  compared  with  the  United  States.  Statistics.  Ac 
tual  Condition.  Death  Scenes.  Comparison  of  the  Relative 
Influence  of  Spanish  Padres  and  American  Missionaries,  over 
their  Converts.  Different  Phases  of  National  Character.  Ad 
mitting  to  the  Church.  Moral  Sentiments  —  Actual  Recog 
nition  of.  Truth  and  Falsehood.  Criminal  Statistics.  Style 
of  Living  among  American  Missionaries.  Their  Houses,  Cost, 
&c.  Their  Advantages  and  Disadvantages.  Enemies  and 
Friends.  Objectionable  Biography.  Privations  of  the  Earlier 
Missionaries.  Qualifications  for  a  Missionary.  Examples. 
Their  Hospitalities.  Labors  for  the  Literary  and  Commercial 
World.  Faults.  Hostility  to  Roman  Catholics.  Extent. 
Anecdotes.  Discontinuing  Connection  with  the  American 
Board.  Independent  Missionaries.  Tendency  of  the  Present 
Times.  Ill  Health  of  Females.  Causes  and  Remedy.  .  170 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Embark  for  Hawaii.  Companions.  A  Roman  Catholic 
Priest  and  Protestant  Missionary.  A  Disputation.  Coast  of 
Hawaii.  Port  of  Kailua.  Billy  Pitt  the  Younger.  Landing. 
Strife  among  Porters.  Many  Call,  Few  are  Paid.  Gov.  Ad 
ams —  His  Bulk  and  Character.  Palace.  Church.  'Blue 
Laws  '  revived.  Cotton  Factory.  '  House  of  Gods.'  'House 
of  Audience.'  Manufacture  of  Idols.  Battery.  Cave  of  Lan- 
iakea.  Mullet  for  Supper.  Kapiolani.  Cook's  Monument. 
Embark  for  Kawaihae.  Parting  Respects  and  Wail.  Mauna 
Hualalai  —  Eruption  from.  Roadstead  of  Kawaihae.  Heiau 
or  Temple.  Walk  to  Waimea.  Fire.  Weather.  Productions 
of  Waimea.  Men  Procured.  Start  for  Mauna  Kea.  Camp 
among  Fleas.  Remarkable  Crater.  Minerals.  Wild  Cattle. 
Horses  give  out — Men  also.  Reach  the  Summit.  Wonderful 
View.  A  Rocky  Lodging-Place.  Descend.  Height  of  the 
Mountain.  A  Snow-Balling  in  July.  Reach  the  Base  of  the 
Mountain.  A  Bullock  Catcher's  Hut.  '  Clinkers.'  Rebellion 
among  Men.  A  Bed  in  the  Rain,  and  a  Smoky  Cave.  A  Cold 
Morning.  Mammoth  Raspberries.  Effects  of  a  Tornado  or 
Earthquake.  Volcano  of  Kilauea.  A  Dangerous  Lodging- 
Place.  Storm  and  Eruption  at  Night..  Steam  Fissures.  Sul 
phur  Beds  and  Bath.  Extent  of  Crater — Shape  —  Age  —  Ele 
vation —  Interior.  Descent.  Black  Ledge  —  Walk  around. 
Burning  Lakes  and  Cones.  Gases.  Beautiful  Appearance  of 
Lava.  Great  Heat.  A  Perilous  Climb.  Dangers  of  Explo 
ration.  Appearance  of  Crater  at  Different  Times.  Volcanic 
Action  throughout  the  Group.  Hawaii  a  Crust  of  Lava,  with 
Fire  beneath.  Another  Mutiny.  Provisions  gone.  Mauna 
Loa,  the  Great  Mountain  —  Douglas's  Description  of — Its 
Errors  and  Inconsistencies.  Leave  for  Hilo.  An  over-sharp 
Landlord.  Leave  in  a  Pet.  A  Guide's  Trick.  Arrival  at  Hilo. 
Situation  and  Natural  Beauties.  Its  Resources,  Climate,  Pop 
ulation,  Exports,  &c.  Mission  House.  Schools.  A  New  Jaunt. 
The  Late  Eruption.  Immense  Stream  of  Lava  —  Its  Devasta 
tions.  Burning  Forests,  Smoke,  Fires,  Gases,  &c.  Appear 
ance  at  the  Sea.  Three  Hills  and  New  Coast  formed.  Salts. 
Steam.  An  Account  of  its  First  Outbreak,  and  Subsequent 
History.  A  Sublime  Spectacle.  The  Ocean  and  Volcano  in 


CONTENTS.  XI 

Strife,  Eccentric  Course  of  the  Stream  —  Effects.  Return  to 
Hilo.  Primitive  State  of  the  Inhabitants.  Sunday.  A  New 
Way  of  Preaching.  Feats  in  Swimming.  A  Shipwreck  and 
Wonderful  Escape 206 


CHAPTER   VII 
CENTRAL    AMERICA. 


Different  Routes.  Difficulties.  Embarkation  for  Panama, 
Fellow  Passengers.  Acapulco.  Trouble.  Imprisonment  and 
Release.  Admiral  Du  Petit  Thouars.  Mexican  Hospitality. 
Gulf  of  Tecuantepec.  Phosphorescence.  Volcanoes  of  Guati- 
mala.  Arrival  at  Acajutla.  Brigantine  at  Anchor.  Shore. 
Roadstead  of  Acajutla.  Surf.  Boats  Capsized.  Custom  House. 
A  Hospitable  Lady.  Leave  the  Brig.  Road  to  Zonzonate. 
Sugar  and  Indigo  Plantations.  Ruins.  Age  of  Zonzonate, 
Population.  A  Kind  Hostess.  Carnival.  Man  Killed.  A 
Benefit  from  a  Thespian  Corps.  Country  Cousins.  News 
from  Guatimala.  Wars  in  the  Interior.  A  Dilemma.  Con 
clude  to  Go-ahead.  Preparations.  An  Auxiliary.  Leave 
Zonzonate.  Cordilleras.  Volcano  of  Itzalco.  Dry  and  Wet 
Seasons.  An  Indian  Village.  A  Meditated  Attack.  Change 
of  Route.  An  Indian  Hamlet.  A  Submerged  Town.  An  Es 
cape.  A  Fresh  Alarm.  Village  of  St.  Helena.  Bad  News. 
A  Council.  A  Night  March.  Pass  through  Chiquimula.  Ef 
forts  to  capture  us.  A  Hard  Road,  and  a  Thirsty  Party.  Pass 
Zacapa.  A  Dilemma.  San  Pablo.  A  Halt.  Slumbers  Inter 
rupted.  Captured.  An  Unexpected  Friend.  Release.  Gua- 
lan.  A  Surly  Landlady.  Mico  Mountain.  Isabel.  Trade. 
Scenery  of  the  Gulf  of  Dulce.  Boat  Navigation.  Chills  and 
Fever,  Balize.  Arrive  Home.  283 


CHAPTER  I. 

Land,  Ho !  Hawaii  in  the  Distance.  —  Reflections  upon  visiting  for 
the  first  time  the  Isles  of  the  Pacific. —  Coast  Scenery. —  Oahu.  — 
Its  Capital,  Honolulu.  —  Harbor.  —  Prevailing  Winds.  —  Former 
Town.— Present  Streets.  —  Puahi,  or  Punch-bowl  Hill.  — Bat 
tery. —  View  from.  —  Whirlwinds.  —  Fort.  —  Governor  Keku- 
anaoa. —  Militia  Drill.  —  Palace. —  Residence  of  the  Premier 
Kekauluohi.  —  Her  Sister,  Kinau.  —  Burial  of. —  Churches. — 
Literary  and  Benevolent  Institutions. —  Schools.  —  Annual  Fes 
tivals  and  Holydays.  —  Population  of  Honolulu.  —  Society,  for 
eign  and  native.  —  Groggeries.  —  Sailor  Dissipation. —  Police.  — 
Climate. —  Commerce. —  A  Stranger's  first  Impressions. — 
Native  Manners. —  Mission  Buildings.  —  Street  Scenes.  —  Dog 
Feast. —  Saturday  Afternoon. —  Nuuanu  Valley.  —  Taro  Plant. 
—  Country  Residences. —  Scenery  of  the  Valley. —  Battle. — 
Pali,  or  Precipice. 

LAND,  Ho  !  cried  a  full,  clear  voice  from  the  fore 
top-gallant  yard  of  a  fast-sailing  brigantine,  which, 
but  a  few  years  since,  had  worn  out  five  weary 
months,  on  her  way  from  Boston  to  the  Hawaiian 
Islands.  During  that  time,  several  of  the  South 
American  ports  had  been  visited,  and  a  more  than 
usually  rough  passage  encountered  in  weathering 
Cape  Horn.  For  forty  days,  in  the  most  inclement 
season  of  that  boisterous  and  inhospitable  latitude, 
the  little  bark  had  contended  against  adverse  gales, 
until  it  seemed  to  the  exhausted  patience  of  the  crew, 
as  if  the  wind  could  blow  but  from  one  quarter,  and 
that  ever  dead  ahead.  But  before  the  sunny  skies 
2 


14  SOUTH    SEA    GROUPS. 

and  fairy -like  evenings  of  the  tropical  Pacific,  all  recol 
lection  of  the  tempests  of  the  south,  and  the  long  and 
dark  and  almost  continuous  nights,  had  vanished  as 
fleetingly  as  a  rain-squall  before  a  driving  'trade/ 
The  sun  shone  out  as  brightly,  and  the  sky  was  as 
blue,  as  if  the  ocean  had  never  roughened  its  surface 
before  a  furious  blast ;  the  brigantine  had  donned  her 
fair-weather  suit,  and  royal  yard  and  studding.sail  boom 
were  strained  by  the  freshening  breeze ;  while  crew 
and  passengers  wore  as  smiling  faces,  the  reflection 
of  as  many  joyous  hearts,  as  if  life  had  ever  been  to 
them  all  sunshine.  In  the  every  day  concerns  of 
life,  there  are  few  sounds  that  send  a  more  quickened 
thrill  through  the  frame,  than  the  cry  of  '  land,  ho ! ' 
to  the  voyager,  who  has  spent  months  pent  in  the 
narrow  confines  of  a  small  vessel,  and  whose  heart 
yearns  to  greet  old  friends  or  new  faces  ashore,  and 
to  exchange  the  hard  deck  and  his  coffin-like  bed,  for 
the  green  fields  and  ample  households  of  mother- 
earth. 

To  a  novice  in  voyaging,  the  bright  islands  of 
Polynesia,  celebrated  in  song  and  story,  the  newest 
and  most  fascinating  field  of  maritime  discovery,  the 
themes  of  praise  alike  to  the  man  of  piety  and  the 
worldling,  have  a  peculiar  attraction.  To  the  young 
American,  the  lands  of  old  Europe  are  fields  of 
storied  interest ;  —  of  high  and  noble  deeds  —  of 
dark  and  sanguinary  passions.  In  them  he  sees 
enshrined  the  monuments  of  the  proudest  genius, 
records  of  glory  and  shame,  worth  and  wickedness, 
arts  and  sciences,  of  the  past  and  the  present.  In 
mingling  with  the  living  generation,  he  is  every- 


SOUTH    SEAS.  15 

where  reminded  of  the  vices  or  virtues  of  the  de 
parted. 

In  perspective,  far  different  are  the  groups  of  the 
South  Seas.  They  seem  as  the  garden-spots  of  the 
earth,  and  distance  paints  them  as  redolent  with  the 
fragrance  and  luxuriance  of  nature.  Cocoa-nut 
groves,  uplifting  their  slim  but  stately  trunks,  form  a 
clear  greensward,  such  as  fairies  might  delight  to 
dance  upon ;  their  graceful  tops  waving  gently  as  the 
sea-breeze  murmurs  and  sighs  through  them  ;  coral 
reefs,  as  beautiful  in  form  and  as  bright  in  colors  as 
the  dense  and  flowering  forests  inland  ;  scenery  rich 
and  varied ;  luscious  fruits  waiting  but  for  the  hand 
to  pluck  them ;  the  useful  and  ornamental  of  the  ani 
mal  and  feathered  kingdoms  to  administer  to  the  ne 
cessities  or  please  the  eye  of  man ;  an  absence  of  the 
noxious  or  disagreeable,  and  above  all,  peopled  with 
the  fairest  race  of  savages,  all  combined,  form  a  pan 
orama  so  fascinating  that  the  fancy  loves  to  linger  long 
upon  it.  Imagination,  warmed  and  invigorated  by 
the  sunniest  and  healthiest  of  all  climates,  continu 
ally  presents  an  undefined  yet  pleasing  image  of  a 
perpetual  juvenescence  ;  nature  retaining  a  pristine 
vigor  and  perennial  green.  But  all  their  varied  nat 
ural  attractions,  and  the  fictitious  charms  ascribed  to 
the  race  whose  homes  they  have  been  from  time  im 
memorial,  sink  into  insignificance  in  the  eye  of  the 
sober  truth-seeker,  who  visits  them  not  to  gloat  over 
their  physical  allurements,  which  have  been  so  often 
depicted  as  the  ease  and  innocency  of  mankind  in 
their  aboriginal  state,  by  those  who  would  create  an 
Eden  where  only  a  Cythera  existed,  but  faithfully  to 


16  HAWAII    IN    THE    DISTANCE. 

examine  the  wondrous  changes  which  a  Christian 
benevolence  has  wrought  upon  them.  Whatever 
may  be  his  nation,  tastes,  or  pursuits,  no  one  has  ever 
approached  their  shores  without  sentiments  of  more 
than  common  interest  or  curiosity. 

The  land  which  was  seen  from  aloft  soon  became 
visible  from  the  deck.  It  appeared  more  like  a  white 
cloud,  upon  a  dark  base,  resting  in  ether,  than  bond 
fide  land.  As  the  vessel  drew  nearer,  the  outline 
of  a  mountain  was  clearly  distinguished,  with  a 
dense  bed  of  snow  upon  its  summit.  It  proved  to 
be  Mauna  Kea  on  Hawaii,  the  loftiest  peak  of  Poly 
nesia,  and  discernible  at  sea  to  the  distance  of  one 
hundred  miles  and  more.  Vessels  bound  to  Oahu 
generally  pass  to  the  windward  of  the  other  islands,  to 
avoid  the  calms  which  prevail  more  or  less  to  the  lee 
ward.  In  drawing  in  with  the  land,  the  breeze 
usually  freshens  and  becomes  more  squally  with 
slight  showers  of  rain.  From  the  boldness  of  the 
shores,  vessels  can  pass  close  along  them,  enabling 
the  traveller  to  scan  their  general  features  as  he  is 
rapidly  hurried  by.  Rising  as  they  do,  from  out  the 
central  portion  of  the  great  North  Pacific,  midway 
between  the  continents  of  Asia  and  America,  and 
several  thousand  miles  distant  from  any  lands  except 
the  barren,  diminutive,  and  uninhabited  coral  islands 
which  are  sparsely  scattered  over  its  surface,  mostly 
within  the  tropics  of  Cancer  and  Capricorn,  these 
islands  appear  like  giant  guardians  of  the  ocean. 
They  break  at  once  upon  the  voyager  with  a  sudden 
ness  and  grandeur  that  excites  his  surprise  and  admi 
ration.  Providence  seems  just  so  to  have  placed 


COAST    SCENERY.  17 

them,  that  they  shall  serve  as  a  great  ocean-hotel  — 
an  oasis  in  the  boundless  waste  of  waters  —  a  spot 
where  men  of  all  races  can  meet  on  a  neutral  and 
hospitable  ground,  and  there  raise  their  anthem  of 
praise  for  deliverance  from  the  dangers  of  the  treach 
erous  deep,  and  petition  for  protection  for  the  future. 
By  day,  the  huge  volcano  of  Kilauea  throw  up 
its  heavy  columns  of  smoke,  and  by  night  illumin 
ates  them  by  the  reflection  of  its  flames ;  at  either 
time  a  beacon  to  the  approaching  mariner;  a  light 
house  tended  by  God's  own  hand. 

Mauna  Kea  and  Mauna  Loa  tower  to  a  height  of 
fourteen  thousand  feet.  The  coast  affords  a  mingled 
scene  of  precipices,  some  craggy,  barren,  and  abrupt, 
others  sloping  somewhat  gently,  green  and  pictu 
resque.  Along  their  ravines  or  over  their  brinks  leap 
many  cataracts  and  cascades,  bright  and  silvery  in 
the  sunlight ;  these,  mingling  their  streams  atthe  base 
of  the  hills,  pour  their  limpid  floods  into  the  briny  foam, 
which  whitens  and  roars  along  the  sea-shore.  Plains 
covered  with  grass,  or  dotted  with  luxuriant  groves, 
with  here  and  there  a  native-hut  partly  hid  in  their  shade, 
incline  gradually  towards  the  coast.  The  eye  roving 
ahead  perceives  jutting  promontories  of  black  volcanic 
rock  pierced  with  wave-worn  caves,  or  a  strip  of  sand 
beach  edged  by  a  shallow  coral  reef,  over  which  the 
surf  tumbles  madly  or  playfully,  according  to  the 
violence  or  lightness  of  the  wind.  Canoes  are  seen 
shooting  through  them,  their  crews  balancing  their 
totlish  boats  on  the  crests  of  the  largest  rollers,  with 
all  the  skill  of  a  circus-rider  upon  his  steed;  now 
they  dart  rapidly  inland,  at  times  appearing  as  if 
2* 


18  HONOLULU. 

they  would  be  cast  end  over  end  as  they  are  pitched 
along ;  or  else  they  paddle  seaward  and  ply  their 
nets  and  fishing-lines.  Drawing  nearer,  clusters  of 
trees  are  discovered ;  a  hamlet  is  seen,  scattered  up 
and  down  the  bank  of  a  river,  and  when  abreast  of 
its  mouth  a  valley  is  disclosed,  reaching  far  inland, 
until  it  terminates  in  a  narrow  and  wooded  dell  or 
gorge.  It  gradually  rises  from  the  sea-side,  teeming 
with  little  plantations,  until  its  further  extremity  is 
lost  in  the  vapor  and  clouds  of  the  higher  regions. 
Many  of  these  valleys  are  beautiful,  though  secluded 
spots,  and  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
most  indifferent  observer  as  he  sails  by  them.  But 
more  of  the  island  scenery  anon.  A  vessel  is  sel 
dom  more  than  twenty-four  hours  after  making 
Hawaii,  in  reaching  Oahu. 

On  the  south  side  of  that  island,  about  five  miles 
from  the  point  called  by  the  natives,  Leahi,  and  by 
the  foreigners,  Diamond  Point,  a  bold  and  singular 
promontory,  is  the  town  of  Honolulu,  the  commercial 
emporium  of  the  North  Pacific.  For  the  last  twenty 
years  it  has  been  silently  growing  into  existence,  and 
though  its  name  is  scarcely  known  to  the  world,  it 
has  become  the  central  poin-t  of  Christianity  and  civ 
ilization  in  this  portion  of  the  globe ;  and,  both  from 
its  past  history  and  its  increasing  importance,  is 
deserving  of  particular  notice.  It  is  the  first  landing- 
place  of  the  traveller,  the  gate-way  into  the  Hawaiian 
kingdom,  and  it  is  from  here  generally  that  his  only  im 
pressions  are  received  or  confirmed.  Too  often  has  it 
been  the  extent  of  the  researches  of  tourists,  whose 
judgments  of  the  group  have  been  based  solely  upon 
their  knowledge  of  the  denizens  of  its  capital. 


HARBOR.  19 

Soon  after  the  discovery,  in  1794,  of  the  entrance 
through  the  reef  which  forms  its  harbor,  Honolulu 
began  to  be  favorably  known.  Its  name  signifies 
fair-haven.  As  a  depot  for  trade  its  advantages  are 
great,  and  its  facilities  as  a  resort  for  shipping  equally 
so.  The  basin  formed  by  the  reef,  is  not  large,  but 
sufficiently  capacious  to  accommodate  from  sixty  to 
one  hundred  sail  at  once.  The  anchorage  outside 
the  reef,  a  mile  from  the  town,  is  very  accessible,  and 
during  most  of  the  year,  perfectly  secure.  When 
the  wind  blows  from  the  south,  which  it  rarely  does 
with  violence,  a  vessel  has  the  choice  to  come  inside 
or  to  put  to  sea.  The  entrance  is  somewhat  intricate 
and  narrow,  but  it  is  well  buoyed  out,  and  skilful  pilots 
are  always  on  hand.  The  channel  is  half  a  mile  in 
length,  and  will  not  admit  vessels  drawing  over 
twenty  feet.  At  low  water,  which  here  falls  about 
four  feet,  the  reefs  on  either  side  are  bare.  Not  un- 
frequently,  vessels  are  detained  outside  for  several 
days,  by  the  freshness  of  the  '  trades,'  which  here 
blow  directly  off  shore,  and  prevent  ingress,  but  at 
the  same  time  afford  a  corresponding  facility  for  leav 
ing.  It  is  seldom  that  a  vessel  is  detained  for  want 
of  a  sailing  breeze.  Early  in  the  morning,  before 
the  trades  set  down  fresh  from  the  mountains,  is  the 
best  time  to  bring  a  ship  inside,  which  is  commonly 
done  by  towing. 

A  few  years  since,  Honolulu  was  a  mere  collec 
tion  of  straw-hovels,  interspersed  with  a  few  build 
ings  of  a  little  better  character,  occupied  by  the 
chiefs  or  foreign  residents.  The  whole  were  arranged 
much  after  the  plan  of  the  Dutch  settlers  of  Man  hat- 


20  HONOLULU. 

tan ;  although,  in  this  instance,  cows  were  not  the 
authorized  surveyors  of  the  streets,  the  waywardness 
of  the  tastes  and  dispositions  of  the  builders  effected 
a  corresponding  confusion,  and  narrow  streets  or  foot 
paths,  and  a  jumbled  mass  of  huts,  stores,  walls,  and 
enclosures,  was  the  result. 

But  Honolulu  in  1842  wore  a  different  aspect.  It 
is  built  upon  a  plain  situated  at  the  outlet  of  several 
rich  valleys,  the  chief  of  which  is  Nuuanu.  The 
space  is  ample  for  it  to  swell  into  a  large  and  flour 
ishing  city.  On  the  west  a  small  stream,  running 
from  the  valley  of  Nuuanu,  separates  it  from  the 
low-lands  where  the  greater  portion  of  the  taro  planta 
tions  are  located.  A  wooden  bridge  and  earthen  and 
stone  causeway  afford  an  easy  access  to  the  town,  for 
the  travel  from  that,  quarter  of  the  island,  which  is  the 
most  populous.  Towards  the  east,  a  fine  leve]  plain, 
which,  when  watered,  becomes  fertile,  intervenes 
between  the  town  and  a  barren  track  of  volcanic 
rock,  three  miles  distant,  produced  by  the  former  out 
pourings  of  the  numerous  extinct  volcanos,  which 
in  this  direction  constitute  the  chief  feature  of  the 
scenery.  Verdure  is  slowly  gaining  ground  upon  it 
annually,  as  the  soil  formed  from  vegetable  deposits 
and  the  decomposition  of  the  rock,  increases.  Tol 
erable  carriage-roads  extend  for  several  miles  in  the 
rear  of  the  town  and  on  the  plain,  which  also  affords 
a  good  race-course.  Between  the  plain  and  the  sea 
is  an  interval  of  low  and  wet  land,  bordered  by  and 
based  upon  coral  reef.  The  natives  here  manufac 
ture  considerable  salt  by  evaporation,  the  salt  water 
being  exposed  to  the  rays  of  the  sun  in  shallow  ba- 


HONOLULU.  21 

sins.  The  limestone  of  the  reefs  is  an  excellent 
building  material,  being  easily  cut  with  axes  when 
in  the  water,  and  becoming  hard  upon  exposure  to 
the  atmosphere.  It  also  yields  an  abundant  supply 
of  lime. 

Numerous  wide  and  straight  avenues,  intersecting 
each  other  mostly  at  right  angles,  run  through  the 
town.  Yearly  it  is  assuming  a  more  civilized  aspect. 
The  warehouses  and  residences  of  the  foreign  mer 
chants  are  principally  concentrated  in  the  western 
part.  Many  of  them  are  of  stone  and  are  well  built 
and  handsome  edifices.  Some  are  of  adobie,  or 
sun-dried  bricks.  These  are  made  from  the  soil  in 
the  streets,  which  is  kneaded  with  the  feet,  water  and 
chopped  straw  being  mixed  with  it.  When  it  has 
attained  a  sufficient  consistency  it  is  placed  in 
wooden  moulds  of  the  size  required,  and  then  left  to 
harden.  They  become  very  compact ;  the  best  will 
scarcely  yield  to  the  blows  of  an  axe.  The  walls  of 
the  houses  built  of  them  are  plastered  over  with  lime. 
These  bricks  no  doubt  are  of  precisely  the  same 
make  and  pattern  as  those  required  of  the  children  of 
Israel  by  their  Egyptian  task-masters.  Indeed,  the 
resemblance  between  a  group  of  Hawaiians,  with 
their  redskins  and  scanty  costumes, and  even  the  im 
plements  employed  in  making  their  bricks,  are  so  strik 
ingly  similar  to  a  hieroglyphical  painting  some  four 
thousand  years  old  which  has  been  transcribed  by 
Wilkinson,  of  a  similar  scene  among  the  children  of 
Ham  at  that  date,  that  the  picture  would  answer  as 
Avell  for  one  as  the  other.  It  is  somewhat  refreshing 
in  this  changing  age,  to  perceive  that  even  one  of  the 


46  PUAHI,  OR    PUNCH-BOWL    HILL. 

good  old  customs  of  our  progenitors  still  continue 
among  us.  And  the  very  name  of  the  bricks  has 
been  perpetuated  with  scarcely  an  alteration,  through 
the  many  ages  that  have  rolled  on  since  the  first 
adobie  was  made.  Mr.  Gliddon,  the  hierologisl, 
informs  us  that  adaub  was  the  Egyptian  word  for  this 
kind  of  brick,  and  it  is  still  used  by  the  Copts  and 
modern  inhabitants  of  that  country.  Doubtless  the 
Saracens  derived  it  from  them  and  carried  it  into 
Spain ;  from  Spain  it  found  its  way  to  the  Americas, 
and  thence,  with  an  exceedingly  slight  variation, 
within  twenty-five  years  has  become  familiarized  at 
the  Hawaiian  Islands.  Continuing  westward  it  may 
arrive  at  the  land  of  its  birth. 

The  dwelling-houses  are  chiefly  situated  within 
enclosures,  a  little  retired  from  the  street,  and  are 
surrounded  with  small  but  well  cultivated  gardens, 
which  give  them  a  rural  and  cheerful  aspect.  The 
soil  of  Honolulu  is  light  and  shallow,  resting  upon 
regularly  piled  strata  of  coral  rock  and  volcanic  cin 
ders,  and  is  formed  mostly  by  the  ashes  from  a  neigh 
boring  extinct  crater  and  the  debris  washed  from  hills 
in  the  rear  of  the  town.  When  watered,  which  is 
done  by  windmills,  it  becomes  productive.  A  few 
years  ago,  scarcely  a  tree,  with  the  exception  of  the 
tall  cocoa-nut  groves  which  border  the  beach  looking 
seaward,  like  watchful  sentinels  over  the  town,  was 
to  be  seen  within  its  precincts.  Now  the  scene  is 
widely  different.  Looking  down  from  Puahi,  or 
Punch-bowl  hill,  an  old  crater  half  a  mile  back  of 
the  town,  and  of  several  hundred  feet  elevation,  a 
pleasing  and  novel  coup  tfceil  is  obtained.  Punch- 


BATTERY.  23 

bowl  hill  obtained  its  soubriquet  in  times  not  quite 
as  temperate  as  the  present ;  its  shape  internally  is 
much  like  a  bowl,  being  a  gradual  and  uniform 
hollow.  Facing  the  town  its  sides  are  steep,  and  the 
appearances  of  lava  and  other  volcanic  substances 
from  its  base  upwards  so  fresh,  that  one  might  read 
ily  be  pardoned  for  indulging  in  some  suspicion  of 
its  ultimate  intentions ;  for  it  appears  as  if  nursing 
its  wrath,  and  ready  at  any  angry  moment  to  belch 
forth  once  more  its  destructive  fires.  However,  fur 
ther  back  than  Hawaiian  traditions  run,  it  has  re 
mained  quiescent,  and  its  nap  does  not  appear 
likely  to  be  disturbed ;  nor  does  one  of  the  ten  thous 
and  inhabitants  that  nightly  repose  within  its  shadow, 
sleep  less  quietly  for  fear  of  its  awakening.  It  forms 
so  prominent  an  object  in  approaching  the  town, 
from  whatever  position,  that  it  may  well  be  taken  for 
the  guardian  genius  of  the  place.  And  it  could,  at 
small  expense,  be  easily  made  so.  Annually,  fires 
are  seen  to  burst  forth  from  its  summit,  followed  by 
loud  reports  and  heavy  volumes  of  smoke.  They 
are  the  pigmy  fires  of  men  in  honor  of  men ;  salutes 
discharged  from  sundry  enormous  thirty-two  and 
forty-two  pounders,  which  in  the  days  of  despotism 
were  drawn  up  its  sides  and  planted  on  its  crest,  at  a 
great  outlay  of  human  strength  and  stupidity.  A 
flag-staff — a  stone  wall  —  some  natural  embrasures 
in  the  lava  rock,  a  fire-proof  straw-built  and  mud- 
plastered  powder  magazine,  a  few  hovels,  a  dozen 
ragged  urchins,  an  old  crone  or  two,  with  as  many 
of  the  sturdier  sex,  and  a  numerous  colony  of  goats, 
constitute  the  fortification  and  garrison.  If  the  bat- 


24  BATTERY,    VIEW    FROM. 

tery  was  properly  mounted  and  secured  it  would 
effectually  command  the  harbor  and  protect  the  town. 
At  the  present  time  it  answers  for  the  more  peace 
ful  purpose  of  a  promenade,  and  the  view  from  all 
points  is  well  worth  the  labor  of  the  ascent.  Look 
ing  inland,  the  mountains  rise  gradually  until  they 
terminate  in  abrupt  peaks,  covered  with  dense  forests, 
which  lie  in  a  region  of  almost  perpetual  mist,  or 
showers.  Lower  down  the  grass  grows  luxuriantly, 
and  herds  of  cattle  there  graze  until  night  fall,  when 
they  seek  shelter  in  their  pens.  Seaward  the  eye 
roams  over  the  boundless  ocean,  whose  waters  line 
the  coral-bound  shore  with  a  broad  belt  of  snowr- 
white  breakers.  Beneath  lies  the  plain,  alive  with 
pedestrians,  horsemen,  and  vehicles  of  quaint  or 
fashionable  appearance ;  a  little  farther,  the  town, 
with  its  intermingling  of  barbarism  and  civilization, 
and  all  its  intermediate  stages.  Its  numerous  gar 
dens,  and  the  many  trees  which  have  been  recently 
planted,  give  it  a  rural  appearance.  The  fort,  ship 
ping,  red-painted  roofs,  stone  churches,  spires,  look 
outs,  (for  every  house  of  any  pretensions  has  a  queer- 
shaped  box  or  cupalo  perched  near  or  upon  its  ridge 
pole,)  the  motion  of  the  arms  of  the  wind- mills,  en 
gaged  in  their  everlasting  pump  —  pump,  straw 
hovels,  and  straw  palaces,  mud-built  walls  and  mud- 
built  habitations,  all  combine  to  form  a  unique  if  not 
harmonious  spectacle.  Let  the  enterprising  pedes 
trian  select  a  windy  day  for  his  view,  if  he  would 
have  its  full  value,  when  the  dry  season  is  nearly 
passed  and  the  trades  come  sweeping  down  the 
heights  in  gusts  with  the  force  of  whirlwinds.  If 


WHIRLWINDS.  25 

he  is  able  to  maintain  his  position  on  the  dizzy 
height,  until  one  of  the  eddying  currents  has  swept 
by  him,  he  will  see  it  whirling  and  dancing  over  the 
plain,  raising  a  dense  column  of  dust,  darkening  the 
sun  and  completely  hiding  objects  but  a  few  rods 
distant.  On  it  speeds,  gathering  dirt  and  momentum 
as  it  goes.  Wo !  to  the  exposed.  Eyes  are  filled, 
nostrils  choked,  and  the  poor  victims,  stupefied  and 
blinded,  know  not  whither  to  turn.  Alas !  for  hats  ; 
they  mount  to  the  upper  regions ;  clothes  are  raised 
from  their  drying  places,  and  away  they  toss  and 
whirl  high  in  air,  while  the  loose  toga-like  garment 
of  many  an  unfortunate  wight  is  wrested  from  his 
bruised  limbs  and  hastens  to  join  its  predecessors  in 
their  aerial  antics.  Away  rush  the  owners,  running 
and  jumping,  while  their  property  is  dodging  and 
flying  about  them,  like  a  knowing  horse  that  has 
taken  leave  of  his  master,  and,  keeping  just  a  rod 
distant,  eyes  him  askew,  as  if  he  would  say,  *  bide 
my  pleasure  now.'  In  time,  however,  all  is  righted ; 
hats  regain  their  owners'  heads,  and  clothes  take 
another  dip  in  the  brook ;  but  on  speeds  the  whirl 
wind.  Anxious  mothers  flutter  about  their  children, 
like  distressed  hens  over  their  frightened  broods,  for 
they  well  know  that  unless  they  can  avoid  the  shock, 
their  equilibrium  and  tempers  are  at  once  upset. 
Watchful  house-keepers  slam  their  windows,  and  hold 
their  breaths  and  dusting-cloths,  aware  that  full  use 
for  both  will  soon  occur.  But  the  saddest  ruin  of  all 
is,  when  one  treacherously  overtakes  a  well-spread 
dinner-table,  entering  through  unclosed  windows  and 
doors,  covering  viands  and  eaters  with  a  layer  of 
3 


26  FORT. 

fine    sand.      There   is   no  remedy  but  to  dine  the 
next  day. 

The  fort,  that  terror  to  evil  doers  of  all  races, 
within  whose  walls  they  are  consigned  to  a  spare 
diet  by  day  and  a  hard  lodging  by  night,  and  the 
companionship  of  filth  and  fleas  at  all  times  of  their 
incarceration,  merits  particular  description.  It  was 
built  under  the  superintendence  of  John  Young,  a 
few  years  before  the  death  of  Kameharneha  I.  It  is 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  harbor,  and  encloses  sev 
eral  acres  of  land.  Its  walls  are  from  twelve  to  fif 
teen  feet  in  height,  and  of  greater  breadth,  faced 
with  stone  on  the  two  sides,  and  filled  in  with  earth. 
The  whole  forms  a  hollow  square ;  the  parapets  are 
of  adobies  plastered,  of  no  kind  of  use  except  for 
appearance.  Between  them  are  mounted  sixty 
pieces  of  ordnance,  some  of  heavy  calibre,  but  the 
whole  structure  would  crumble  to  pieces  before  a  few 
well-directed  broadsides,  though  for  the  purposes  of 
the  government,  in  any  case  except  that  of  foreign 
war,  it  is  ample.  The  guns  point  to  all  quarters, 
commanding  the  town  equally  with  the  harbor.  Let 
us  enter.  At  the  southern  gate,  we  find  a  well  dress 
ed  sentinel  with  quite  as  much  of  a  military  air  as 
others  of  his  profession,  in  more  powerful  countries 
within  the  same  latitude.  He  interposes  no  restric 
tion.  Inside,  the  square  is  neat  and  in  good  order  ; 
rusty  cannons  and  balls  lay  piled  about.  The  menials 
and  officers  of  justice  are  sauntering  about  with  all 
the  pride  and  laziness  of  house-fed  dogs,  looking 
very  much  as  if  they  wanted  to  lay  hands  upon  some 
one.  Groups  of  the  most  hardened  villains  are  to  be 


GOVERNOR    KEKUANAOA.  27 

seen  manacled  and  stretched  out  on  the  ground  be 
neath  the  shade  of  neither  rain-tight  or  sun-tight 
sheds ;  a  white  face  now  and  then  varies  the  general 
array  of  dark  countenances.  It  is  that  of  some  sea 
man,  who  prefers  the  risks  of  such  a  captivity  to  the 
discomforts  of  the  fore-castle,  and  has  attempted  to 
run  away  or  has  been  engaged  in  a  drunken  broil. 
Women,  the  most  dwarfish,  ugly,  and  disgusting  of 
their  sex,  in  garments  tattered  and  torn,  hair  dishev 
elled,  but  surmounted  by  wreaths  of  flowers,  in  sin 
gle  file  corne  panting  into  the  fort.  They  bear  upon 
their  backs  loads  of  grass  and  rushes,  to  be  strewed 
in  front  of  the  governor's  quarters,  forming  a  natural 
carpet.  These  women  are  violaters  of  the  law  con 
nubial  ;  and  for  want  of  funds  to  pay  their  fines,  are 
obliged  to  bring  these  loads  from  the  country.  They 
are  only  the  most  abandoned  of  their  class,  and  pass 
along  with  a  bold  stare  or  impudent  leer.  Various 
well-built  stone  houses,  containing  munitions  of  war, 
next  attract  our  notice ;  but  it  is  time  we  paid  our 
respects  to  the  Governor  of  Oahu,  Kekuanaoa,  who 
makes  this  place  his  head* quarters.  Ascending  a 
flight  of  wooden  steps  on  the  right,  we  reach  the 
summit  of  the  wall,  which  forms  a  delightful  prom 
enade.  Here,  under  the  shade  of  a  grove  of  hou 
trees,  commanding  a  fine  view  of  the  ocean  and 
country,  the  lesser  criminal  cases  are  disposed  of.  A 
spacious  stone  house  which  we  enter  from  the  grove, 
contains  the  hall  of  justice  and  the  apartments  of  the 
governor.  In  an  ante-room  we  find  him.  He  is  a 
fine  looking,  portly  man  of  fifty  years  of  age;  his 
air  is  military  and  commanding,  and  his  deportment 


28  MILITIA    DRILL. 

that  of  a  gentleman ;  a  man  of  business  in  his 
habits.  Secretaries  are  busily  engaged  in  writing  at 
his  dictation  ;  the  room  is  well  furnished,  all  are  well- 
dressed,  and  every  thing  looks  civilized  and  comfort 
able.  We  find  the  governor  courteous  withal,  and 
he  will  offer  you  refreshments  with  all  the  grace  of 
a  gentleman  of  the  old  school.  After  knowing  the 
man,  it  will  be  your  own  fault  if  you  do  not  pro 
nounce  him  a  very  clever  one  ;  and  that  is  no  faint 
praise  for  one  who  lived  from  youth  to  manhood  in 
heathenism  of  the  vilest  cast.  He  was  in  the  suite 
of  the  former  king,  Liholiho,  when  he  went  to  Eng 
land,  and  there  received  much  attention.  He  is  now 
a  member  of  the  church,  and  a  tee-totaler ;  partaking 
of  neither  ardent  spirits  nor  wine.  His  correct  busi 
ness  habits,  firmness,  and  decision  have  won  for  him 
the  esteem  of  all  respectable  men.  Within  a  year, 
the  insurance  offices  of  Boston  have  presented  him 
a  handsome  service  of  plate,  for  his  zealous  attention 
to  their  interests  and  services  rendered  shipping  in 
distress.  Taking  leave  of  him.  we  return  by  the 
same  way,  and  in  the  area,  beneath,  find  the  militia 
of  the  town  assembled  to  go  through  the  manual 
exercise.  All  the  male  population,  as  with  us,  are 
drilled  in  arms  several  times  annually.  Their  gar 
ments  are  not  quite  as  uniform  as  their  muskets,  and 
scoffers  might  pronounce  them  a  breechless  set. 
However,  they  are  in  their  working  costume,  and 
Hawaiian  citizen  soldiery  are  no  more  given  to  wear 
ing  their  bettermost  upon  a  training-day  than  New 
England's  sons  of  Mars.  They  handle  their  guns 
cleverly  though,  and  it  is  well  they  do,  for  a  young 


RESIDENCE    OF    THE    PREMIER    KEKAULUOHI.         29 

officer  in  uniform  stands  ready  to  apply  a  blow 
from  a  good-sized  rod,  whenever  any  remissness  is 
manifested. 

To  the  east  of  the  fort  are  the  barracks  and  royal 
enclosure.  Within  it,  is  the  Kauila  house,  a  neat 
and  handsome  edifice,  containing  the  hall  of  audience 
and  the  room  where  the  supreme  court  sits  when  in 
session.  Both  are  well  furnished.  A  number  of 
smaller  buildings  are  appropriated  to  the  royal  suite. 
The  palace,  which  is  new,  is  built  after  the  man 
ner  of  their  ancestors,  being  of  thatch  upon  a  frame 
of  wood,  both  of  beautiful  finish.  The  interior 
forms  a  large  and  noble  hall,  floored  with  mats.  The 
timber  used  in  its  erection  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
famed  '  Stewart  Palace,'  but  the  glass  folding-doors 
have  degenerated  into  plain  doors  with  top  and  side 
lights. 

Kekauluohi  owns  a  large  two-story  stone  house  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  town,  well  furnished,  though 
the  grounds  about  it  are  not  in  the  best  order.  Ac 
cording  to  an  old  custom  of  the  land,  her  retainers 
have  erected  numerous  habitations  immediately 
around  hers.  The  attendants  of  the  chiefs  swarm  as 
near  them  as  possible.  Kekauluohi  is  a  daughter  of 
Kamehameha  L,  and  has  obtained  among  foreigners 
the  soubriquet  of  '  big-mouth  queen,'  from  the  great 
size  of  that  organ,  which,  although  she  weighs  up 
wards  of  three  hundred  pounds,  bears  a  great  dis 
proportion  to  the  rest  of  her  face.  She  succeede'd 
her  sister  Kinau,  in  the  office  of  Premier,  but  holds 
it  for  the  infant  daughter  of  the  latter,  Victoria,  whose 
legitimate  title,  when  she  arrives  at  an  age  suitable  to 
3* 


30  KINAU, 

take  the  office  upon  herself,  will  be  Kaahumanu  III. 
Even  the  chief  women  find  it  difficult  to  shake  off 
all  their  former  lounging  propensities,  and  perhaps  it 
is  not  desirable;  certainly,  in  so  corpulent  women  as 
most  of  them  are,  and  in  such  a  debilitating  climate, 
it  is  excusable  for  them  to  a  certain  extent  to  sink 
their  dignity  in  their  comfort.  In  making  a  friendly 
and  informal  call  upon  Kekauluohi,  she  is  most  com 
monly  to  be  found  in  a  loose  satin  dress,  stretched  at 
full  length  upon  piles  of  fine  mats,  (the  Hawaiian 
divan,)  bolstered  about  with  pillows,  and  surrounded 
by  a  bevy  of  young  damsels,  to  administer  to  the 
comforts  of  her  physical  self.  A  Bible,  hymn-book, 
or  the  little  newspaper  printed  in  the  Hawaiian 
tongue,  are  ever  near  her ;  the  former  bearing  marks 
of  diligent  use.  When  a  visitor  is  announced,  she 
languidly  raises  her  head,  and  holds  out  a  hand  to 
be  shaken,  the  plumpness  of  which  entirely  absorbs 
the  smaller.  A  shake  from  such  a  hand  is  perfectly 
delightful ;  its  softness  and  fairness,  (for  their  hands 
are  pretty,  and  terminate  in  long  tapering  fingers,)  are 
irresistible;  and,  to  those'she  likes,  her  smiles  are  very 
gracious  and  her  reception  cordial. 

Kinau  was  a  woman  of  giant  size,  and  possessing 
great  dignity  of  carriage  and  firmness  of  character. 
In  many  respects  she  resembled  her  predecessor,  the 
imperious  but  truly  Christian  Kaahumanu,  whose 
biography  affords  one  of  the  most  remarkable  instan 
ces  of  a  sincere  conversion  in  the  records  of  mission 
ary  toil.  The  death  of  Kinau,  which  occurred 
April  4th,  1839,  was  a  severe  blow  to  the  nation. 
After  lying  in  state  for  a  month,  her  body  was  de- 


BURIAL    OF.  31 

posited  in  the  royal  tomb,  near  the  house  of  Kekau- 
luohi,  beside  those  of  Liholiho,  Kamamalu,  Kaahu- 
manu,  and  others  of  the  royal  lineage.     Funeral  cere 
monies  tell   much  of  the   actual  state  of  civilization 
in  a  nation,  and  hers  are  worthy  of  notice.  At  the  day 
appointed  for  the  interment,   the  island  poured    its 
multitudes  into  the  streets  of  Honolulu.     Kekaulu- 
ohi's  house,  where  the  body  lay,  was  besieged  by  a 
dense  throng  of  mourners,  but  order  and  quiet  pre 
vailed  among  them.     A  large  body  of  troops,  clad  in 
white  uniforms  with  blue  facings,  lined  both  sides  of 
the  road  through  which  the  procession  was  to  pass  to 
the    church.     To    avoid    the    dust,    and   render   the 
walking  pleasant,  rushes  and  mats  had  been  strewed 
along    the    streets    the  whole  distance.     The  chiefs 
were  dressed  in  the  deepest  mourning;  the  females 
wore  black  silk  and  satin  dresses  with  dark  turbans ; 
together   they    formed    a    sombre    group.     Hoapili- 
wahine,  the  mother  of  the   deceased,   the   friend   of 
Vancouver,  and  the  most  aged  among  them,  a  giant 
ess  in  stature,  towered  above  all.     Although  buried 
in  the  deepest   grief  she  joined  in    the    procession. 
The  coffin,  which  was  covered  with  crimson  velvet 
and  richly  decorated,  was  placed  upon  a  car  hung 
about  with  black  drapery.     It  was  drawn  by  young 
chiefs,  in    black    pantaloons  and  head-dresses,    but 
without  coats,  their  white  shirt-sleeves  forming  not 
an  unpleasing  contrast  to  the  dark  hues  around  them. 
Above  all,  waved  the  stately  Kahilis,  the  beautiful 
feathered  insignia  of  royalty.     All  the   foreign  offi 
cers    in  port,  and   the    consuls,   in  uniform,    mer 
chants  and  residents  of  all  classes,  and  the  native  in- 


32  CHURCHES. 

habitants,  united  in  paying  the  last  sad  tribute  of 
respect  to  the  departed.  Badges  of  mourning  were 
served  out  by  the  king  to  every  one.  Not  a  shout 
or  a  cry  disturbed  the  slow  movements  of  the  funeral 
train ;  the  booming  of  the  minute-guns  alone  was 
heard,  and  the  solemn  music  of  the  band.  As  it 
passed  the  soldiers  presented  arms.  One  aged  fe 
male  in  the  crowd,  unable  to  control  her  emotion,  and 
moved  by  the  recollections  of  the  past,  broke  out 
into  a  chant,  after  the  customs  of  their  ancestors. 
But  she  was  silenced,  and  the  rites  were  performed 
in  a  strictly  Christian  manner.  The  corpse  was  pla 
ced  in  the  vault  amid  the  tears  and  sobs  of  relatives 
and  retainers;  the  last  looks  given,  the  crowd 
quietly  dispersed,  and  dust  was  left  to  claim  its  own. 
The  most  conspicuous  if  not  the  most  ornamental 
edifice  in  the  town,  is  the  stone  church,  erected  at  the 
order  of  the  king,  by  the  joint  labor  of  the  whole 
island.  Ten  years  were  employed  in  cutting  the 
stone,  procuring  the  timber,  &c.  Meanwhile  the 
despotism  of  the  chiefs  became  restrained  by  a  writ 
ten  constitution.  Tyranny  and  exactions  laid  its 
foundation  and  raised  its  walls,  but  voluntary  labor 
and  contribution  completed  the  work.  The  manner 
of  its  erection  and  its  slow  progress  furnish  an  epi 
tome  of  the  history  of  the  nation  and  all  its  varied 
phases,  from  its  darkest  period  of  anarchy  and  con 
fusion  to  the  joyous  and  improving  epoch  which 
marked  its  dedication.  Chiefs  and  people  can  read 
a  lesson  from  its  massive  sides.  Slowly  and  heavily 
rose  its  walls  while  the  nation  wrought  under  task 
masters.  Cheerily  and  speedily  did  they  ascend  and 


CHURCHES. 


reach  their  top-most  stone  under  efforts  of  an 
emancipated  race,  determined  to  erect  a  temple  wor 
thy  of  the  service  of  Jehovah.  It  wa<*  completed 
mainly  by  the  labor  and  contribution  of  its  own  con 
gregation.  Its  great  size  is  owing  to  a  whim  of  the 
king,  who  was  determined  to  have  his  church  the 
largest  in  the  kingdom.  It  is  one  hundred  and  ten 

O  o 

feet  long  by  seventy  wide  and  thirty  high.  When 
the  galleries  are  completed  it  will  accommodate  three 
thousand  worshippers.  The  interior  is  plain  ;  orna 
mented  with  a  handsome  clock,  the  gift  of  a  Boston 
merchant.  The  exterior  is  in  bad  taste,  being  mod 
elled  after  the  old  barn-like  structures,  which  Presby- 
terianism,  a  century  since,  delighted  to  congregate  in. 
It  has  three  rows  of  small  windows  on  all  sides,  re 
sembling  the  port-holes  of  a  line  of  battle-ship.  The 
upper  are  arched,  which  relieves  the  bad  effect  some 
what.  Its  design  is  the  more  to  be  regretted,  as  from 
the  solid  materials  of  which  it  is  composed  it  bids 
fair  to  out-live  the  Hawaiian  monarchy  and  lan 
guage,  and  to  remain  to  after  ages  a  monument  of 
their  industry  and  piety.  Its  cost  cannot  be  defi 
nitely  computed ;  but  had  even  a  moiety  of  the  labor 
exerted  after  the  native  fashion  been  paid  for,  one 
hundred  ttiousand  dollars  could  not  have  finished  it. 
In  the  rear  of  the  church  is  the  foreign  burial-ground, 
already  numbering  many  stones  to  the  departed  mis 
sionaries,  their  children,  and  others,  who,  having  sought 
these  shores  when  worn  out  with  lingering  diseases, 
have  here  ended  their  days.  For  acres  around  arise 
the  humble  mementos  of  the  dead  of  the  Hawaiian 
race,  and  the  ground  already  seems  filled  to  the  ut- 


34  CHURCHES. 

most  with  its  mouldering  inhabitants.  Towards  the 
sea,  are  the  remains  of  the  temple  which  once  was 
the  pride  of  church-goers.  A  thatch  building  of  the 
largest  class,  supported  on  a  massive  frame-work  of 
wood  bound  together  by  cinet,  and  capable  of  ac 
commodating  five  thousand  worshippers.  Like  the 
temple  of  Solomon,  neither  the  sound  of  hammer, 
nor  axe,  nor  tool  of  iron,  can  be  said  to  have  been 
heard  while  it  was  building.  Now  the  cattle  have 
eaten  away  its  grassy  sides,  and  the  rain  and  wind 
play  sad  antics  with  its  dilapidated  roof.  When 
used,  pigeons  fly  freely  about  over  the  heads  of  the 
congregation,  and  fleas  nibble  busily  at  their  feet. 
As  it  was  obliged  to  be  occupied  until  the  other  was 
roofed,  the  people  generously  provided  a  tarpaulin  to 
protect  their  pastor,  while  in  the  pulpit ;  much  upon 
the  same  principle  of  that  church,  who,  laboring  un 
der  a  similar  difficulty  in  a  more  inclement  climate, 
showed  a  laudable  regard  for  their  own  pockets  and 
the  comfort  of  their  preacher,  by  voting  to  have  only 
the  sounding-board  shingled. 

In  the  western  part  of  the  town,  a  new  and  neat 
church  of  the  same  denomination,  and  capable  of 
accommodating  two  thousand  persons,  has  been  built. 
The  Romanists  are  erecting  a  costly  stone*catheclral, 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  feet  long  by  fifty  wide.  The 
foreigners  generally  worship  in  a  two-story  wooden 
building,  sent  out  by  the  Seamen's  Aid  Society, 
which  also  supports  a  chaplain  on  the  station  ;  but  his 
services  are  mostly  diverted  to  the  residents,  many  of 
whom  have  fitted  up  the  seats  which  were  common  in 
the  chapel  to  all  classes,  and  appropriated  them  to  their 


LITERARY    AND    BENEVOLENT    INSTITUTIONS.       35 

families,  so  that  Jack  Tar,  if  he  comes,  must  occupy 
the  lower  places  in  the  synagogue.  There  are  few 
ports  where  better  access  can  be  had  to  a  larger  body 
of  respectable  seamen,  than  at  this  place.  In  the 
lower  story  of  the  chapel,  a  reading-room  has  been 
fitted  for  their  use.  Another  apartment  is  occupied 
by  the  collection  and  library  of  the  Sandwich  Island 
Institute,  a  useful  and  interesting  society. 

An  exceedingly  beneficial  institution  is  the  Charity 
School.  Owing  to  the*  former  condition  of  society 
at  this  place,  a  numerous  body  of  half-castes  were 
growing  up  devoid  of  the  means  of  education,  while 
from  their  position,  they  were  exposed  to  more  than 
ordinary  temptations,  particularly  the  females.  Con 
sequently  a  rapidly  increasing  class,  the  more  vicious 
from  their  greater  abilities  for  evil  as  well  as  good, 
was  let  loose  upon  the  community.  Many  had  no 
acknowledged  parents ;  those  of  others  had  deserted 
them,  or  were  too  poor,  ignorant,  or  wicked,  to  care 
for  their  moral  and  religious  well-being.  Some  were 
found  who  were  willing  and  able  to  do  something. 
Accordingly,  in  1832  a  society  was  established  by 
the  residents  of  Honolulu,  supported  by  voluntary 
contributions.  A  school  was  formed,  and  a  mission 
family  obtained  their  dismission  from  the  Board  of 
American  Missions,  and  undertook  the  charge  of  it. 
Sufficient  funds  were  obtained  to  provide  a  good 
dwelling-house,  with  an  adequate  salary  for  the 
teachers.  A  handsome  stone  school-house  was 
erected,  which  now  accommodates  eighty  children  of 
both  sexes;  and  the  utility  of  the  plan  of  instruction, 
which  is  altogether  in  the  English  tongue,  has  been 


36  SCHOOLS. 

so  well  tested  and  approved,  that  children  are  an 
nually  sent  from  California  to  be  educated  here. 
Suitable  buildings  for  the  board  and  lodging  of  such 
scholars  have  been  incorporated  with  the  establish 
ments.  The  funds  now  amount  to  eight  thousand 
dollars  ;  but,  if  increased,  its  usefulness  could  be  much 
enlarged,  a  higher  and  more  thorough  system  of  ed 
ucation  carried  out,  and  more  pupils  be  accommo 
dated.  On  its  present  plan,  its  utility  has  been  great, 
and  numbers  of  youth  have  been  raised  to  fill  sta 
tions  profitably  to  society.  Of  that  highly  important 
and  interesting  school  for  the  royal  children,  I  have 
spoken  in  another  work.*  It  still  continues  in  the 
full  course  of  successful  experiment,  and  is  well  de 
serving  the  attention  of  the  traveller.  Numerous 
schools  for  the  native  children  exist  under  the  sur 
veillance,  and,  as  far  as  practicable,  immediate  care, 
of  the  American  missionaries.  In  them,  the  ru 
diments  of  instruction  are  freely  taught,  and  their 
effect  is  very  beneficial.  Annually,  examinations  are 
held,  at  which  all  the  relatives  of  the  pupils  and  the 
populace,  generally,  are  invited.  After  which,  a  feast 
is  provided  for  the  urchins,  and  the  remainder  of  the 
day  is  appropriated  to  fun  and  frolic.  In  1841,  a 
rustic  spot  a  mile  in  the  rear  of  the  town  was  select 
ed  for  the  occasion.  At  noon  fourteen  hundred  mas 
ters  and  misses  in  their  best  attire,  divided  into  bands, 
bearing  appropriate  banners  according  to  the  schools 
to  which  they  belonged,  marched  with  drum  and  fife 
to  the  field  where  the  mighty  gastronomic  feat  was 
to  be  performed.  Shawls,  umbrellas,  mats,  extern- 

*  History  of  the  Hawaiian  or  Sandwich  Islands. 


ANNUAL    FESTIVALS    AND    HOLYDAYS.  37 

pore  sheds,  and  every  thing  else  that  could  afford  a 
shade,  were  erected  to  screen  the  devouring  multi 
tude  from  the  sun,  and  the  occasional  showers  of 
rain,  which,  however,  were  not  sufficient  to  dampen 
their  ardor  in  the  least.  What  with  mammas,  and 
papas,  aunts  and  uncles,  cousins  and  loafers,  relations 
of  all  degrees  and  relations  of  no  degrees  at  all,  sev 
eral  thousands  squatted  down  upon  mother  earth,  to 
baked  dog,  pig,  fish,  poi,  and  other  luxuries  of  a  Ha 
waiian  palate,  all  of  which  disappeared  with  a  rapidity 
which  baffle  calculation.  The  youthful  aristocrats 
dined  wilh  His  Majesty  and  others  of  the  court,  in  a 
building  prepared  for  the  purpose.  After  the  champing 
of  teeth  and  hum  of  merry  voices  had  sufficiently 
subsided,  the  king  and  premier  made  suitable  ad 
dresses.  The  crowd  then  adjourned,  highly  pleased, 
and  looking  forward  wilh  joyous  expectation  to  the 
succeeding  annual  return  of  the  holyday.  Such 
merry-makings,  combining  amusement  with  instruc 
tion,  have  a  most  favorable  effect.  Who,  with  such 
in  view,  regrets  the  libidinous  dance,  and  the  exciting 
gambling  of  olden  time? 

New-Year's  day  is  celebrated  very  generally  by 
the  adults  much  after  the  manner  of  the  genuine 
Thanksgiving  of  New  England;  with  an  interming 
ling  of  the  good  things  of  this  life,  with  the  thoughts 
of  the  life  to  come.  At  Lahaina,  an  annual  feast  is 
held  by  the  king  and  assembled  chiefs,  commencing 
on  the  30th  of  December  and  continuing  three 
days,  in  memory  of  the  departed  Princess,  Na- 
hienaena.  Salutes  are  fired  from  the  batteries, 
and  all  the  state  and  dignity  of  the  kingdom  ein- 
4 


38  POPULATION. 

ployed  to  give  solemnity  to  the  august  celebration. 
Nowhere  is  the  Fourth  of  July  greeted  with  a 
heartier  welcome  than  at  Honolulu.  The  enjoy 
ment  of  '  the  day  we  celebrate '  is  not  confined 
solely  to  the  citizens  of  the  great  republic.  All  enter 
with  zest  upon  its  jovialities.  To  the  Hawaiian s  it 
has  become  a  holyday  equal  to  any  of  their  own, 
though  why,  it  would  puzzle  them  to  tell,  except,  per 
haps,  from  the  sympathy  which  merriment  and  happi 
ness  always  inspire.  The  morn  is  ushered  in  with  a 
noise  of  drums  and  trumpets,  fifes  and  horns,  fiddles 
and  triangles,  shouts  of  noisy  urchins,  popping  off 
of  muskets,  and  every  other  extempore  sound  that 
will  add  to  the  general  din.  The  shade  of  Adams 
the  elder  would  rejoice  in  the  display  in  this  far-off 
isle.  Many  of  the  stores  are  closed,  the  batteries, 
thanks  to  the  courtesies  of  the  Governor,  thunder 
their  welcome,  one  gun  for  each  State,  and  the  day 
closes  with  parties  and  social  amusements,  at  which 
all  the  resources  of  Yankee  wit  and  ingenuity  are 
drawn  out.  There  is  not  an  American  heart  that 
does  not  beat  heartier  and  prouder  on  this  occasion, 
and  though  their  patriotism  may  not  be  quite  so 
practical,  it  is  certainly  as  sincere  in  that  of  those,  who, 
living  within  their  country,  are  involved  in  the  din 
and  stir  of  politics.  Abroad,  more  of  the  sentiment, 
*  our  country,  our  whole  country,'  prevails. 

The  population  of  Honolulu  and  its  suburbs  is 
computed  at  about  ten  thousand,  of  whom  five  to  six 
hundred  are  foreigners.  More  than  two  thirds  of 
these  are  citizens  of  the  United  States  —  the  remain 
der  principally  English  and  Chinese.  Of  American 
families,  including  those  of  the  mission,  there  are 


SOCIETY,  FOREIGN  AND  NATIVE. GROGGERIES.     39 

twenty-three  —  and  four  English.  Very  many  of 
the  residents  have  intermarried  among  the  natives. 
The  foreign  population  is  exceedingly  heterogeneous, 
formed  from  a  multitude  of  nations,  ranks,  and  de 
grees  of  refinement,  wealth,  and  education.  French 
men,  Spaniards,  Portuguese,  Russians,  in  fact,  repre 
sentatives  from  almost  every  race  under  the  sun, 
from  the  cannibal  of  New  Zealand  to  his  civilized 
prototype,  the  convict  of  New  South  Wales ;  —  the 
dark  Arab  and  ebony  African.  Amid  such  a  med 
ley  every  shade  of  civilization  and  barbarism,  with 
their  attendant  virtues  and  vices,  are  to  be  seen.  And 
this  variety  and  novelty  renders  society  here  agreea 
ble  to  the  voyager,  though  not  always  so  to  the  resi 
dent.  Side  by  side  are  the  poison  and  antidote. 
The  church,  concerts  of  prayer,  religious  influences 
of  the  most  devoted  nature,  library  and  museum, 
school  and  lecture-room,  beauties  of  nature,  and  the 
refinements  and  attractions  of  domestic  life,  the  lux 
uries  and  fair  faces  of  his  native  land,  invite  on  the 
one  hand.  On  the  other,  scenes  of  doubtful  good, 
the  noisy  frolic,  cards  and  billiards,  gambling  and 
bowling,  and  all  the  usual  allurements  to  dissipation, 
seduce  the  unwary.  The  elegant  mansion  reared  by 
civilization  lies  half  hid  amid  huts  of  almost  squalid 
poverty,  or  of  equally  offensive  filth.  But  it  is  to  the 
poor  seamen,  that  the  temptations  are  strongest. 
Since  the  enforcement  of  the  iniquitous  Laplace 
Treaty,  groggeries  have  inundated  the  town  with  their 
poisons.  One  of  its  most  striking  features  is  the 
number  of  signs  everywhere  to  be  seen,  tempting 
the  sailor  to  ruin.  And  to  ruin  he  too  often  goes. 


40  SAILOR    DISSIPATION. 

During  the  visit  of  the  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition 
in  1840,  several  hundred  seamen  having  been  turned 
ashore  with  their  pockets  lined  with  money,  the  town 
for  some  weeks  was  alive  with  Jack  and  his  follies. 
Hungry  sharks,  both  black  and  white,  gave  them  no 
rest  while  their  dollars  remained.  What  with  the 
rush  of  sailor  horsemen  through  the  streets,  for  every 
nag  far  and  near  had  been  pressed  into  the  service^ 
and  the  bursts  of  merriment  from  every  quarter; 
the  roll  of  the  bowling-alleys,  and  bacchanalian 
shouts,  it  was  anything  but  a  quiet  place  for  its 
peaceful  denizens.  Jack  fairly  * put  the  town  in 
stays,'  and  yet  no  one  was  disposed  to  look  harshly 
upon  his  endeavors  to  amuse  himself,  so  heartily  did 
he  seem  to  work  for  it.  Some  scenes  were  comic 
enough.  A  party  in  one  street  got  up  a  race  between 
two  fellows,  drunk  as  drunk  could  be  and  yet  keep 
on  horse-back.  The  stakes  were  placed  in  the  hands 
of  a  disinterested  native,  and  the  word  *  go  '  shouted. 
Off  went  the  riders  in  a  most  extraordinary  manner, 
and  off  went  the  native  after  a  most  natural  one,  in 
the  opposite  direction.  The  race  was,  now,  who 
should  catch  him.  Another  son  of  Neptune,  in 
riding  out  to  take  the  air,  found  himself,  to  his  inex 
pressible  annoyance,  pitching  forward,  in  a  most  pe 
culiar  manner,  and  to  a  complete  sacrifice  of  all 
graces  of  equestrianship.  Not  in  the  least  suspect 
ing  the  cause  could  lie  with  himself,  he  declared  that 
the  fore  legs  of  the  horse  were  shorter  than  his  hind, 
and  to  satisfy  the  spectators  of  the  fact,  got  off  and 
measured  them.  Another  powerful  fellow,  having 
somewhat  deviated  from  the  w^ays  of  propriety,  was 


SAILOR    DISSIPATION.  41 

confined  in  the  fort.  Here  the  shortness  of  the  grub 
agreed  not  at  all  with  his  shore  appetite.  Managing 
to  free  himself  from  his  irons,  he  seized  a  club, 
knocked  down  the  sentinel,  rushed  out  of  the  fort, 
and,  encountering  the  armed  patrol,  put  them  to 
flight,  arid  for  some  time  was  fairly  master  of  the 
town.  Several  seamen  likewise  imprisoned,  not  be 
ing  able  to  escape,  their  comrades  determined  to 
release  them,  and  these  comedies  wellnigh  terminat 
ed  in  a  tragedy.  Having  armed  themselves  with 
such  weapons  as  they  could  lay  hands  upon,  they  pre 
pared  to  storm  the  fort.  The  Governor,  apprising 
Commanders  Wilkes  and  Hudson  of  the  state  of  af 
fairs,  they  immediately  set  off  for  the  scene  of  action, 
and  found  their  men  duly  prepared  to  carry  their 
designs  into  execution.  But  the  authority  of  their 
captains  overawed  them,  and  after  giving  up  their 
arms  they  peaceably  retired. 

Such  are  some  of  the  effects  of  the  introduction 
of  liquor  freely  into  an  island  seaport.  In  no  place 
could  a  Washingtonian  society  be  productive  of 
more  good  in  proportion  to  the  foreign  population, 
(intemperance  is  not  a  common  vice  among  the  na 
tives,)  for  in  no  other  is  there  a  greater  proportion  of 
individuals  engaged  in  the  traffic  in  ardent  spirits ; 
and  daily  about  the  streets  are  to  be  seen  painful 
instances  of  fine  abilities  and  prospects  partially  or 
wholly  ruined  by  habitual  intoxication. 

A  higher  moral  tone  is  beginning  to  prevail,  and 

elements  exist  which,  if  properly  nurtured,  will  render 

Honolulu  free  from  such   scenes.     Many  generous 

hearts  and   humane  spirits  exist  there.     They  need 

4* 


42  POLICE. CLIMATE. COMMERCE. 

but  to  be  aroused  from  the  lethargy  which  long  ab 
sence  from  civilized  lands,  and  habitude  to  such 
scenes,  have  engendered.  In  no  place  is  misfortune 
more  freely  comforted,  or  hospitality  more  abun 
dantly  bestowed.  If  the  vices  of  Honolulu  are 
boldly  conspicuous,  its  virtues  are  none  the  less  so. 

Quiet  reigns  through  the  streets  at  night.  A  late 
law  obliges  all  seamen  to  retire  to  their  ships  by  nine 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  and  no  native,  except  by  permission, 
is  allowed  to  be  out  after  that  hour.  A  strong  body 
of  police  enforces  this  salutary  regulation. 

To  a  valetudinarian,  few  places  offer  more  induce 
ments  for  a  residence.  The  climate  is  warm  without 
being  too  debilitating.  Dry  and  yet  not  checking 
perspiration.  Sultry  nights  are  unknown.  Good 
board,  pleasant  society,  all  the  necessaries  and  most 
of  the  luxuries  of  life  are  at  command.  By  varying 
the  location  through  the  different  islands,  any  degree 
of  heat  or  cold,  dryness  or  dampness,  can  be  obtained. 
At  Honolulu  are  now  residing  in  active  health,  indi 
viduals  whose  lives  would  long  since  have  paid  the 
forfeit  had  they  remained  within  a  less  genial  zone. 
Fruits,  vegetables,  and  meats  are  abundant,  and  an 
nually  becoming  cheaper.  It  requires  but  the  com 
pletion  of  the  Panama  canal  to  render  the  Hawaiian 
Islands  a  most  desirable  resort  for  invalids.  The 
United  States  will  then  be  brought  within  a  voyage  of 
two  months,  and  that  at  suitable  seasons,  through  the 
most  quiet  portion  of  the  great  oceans,  presenting 
many  interesting  points  in  the  track. 

As  a  commercial  centre  its  importance  is  great, 
and  every  year  further  developes  this  fact.  It  forms 


43 


an  excellent  depot  for  goods  for  the  Mexican,  Rus 
sian,  Chinese,  and  Californian  markets,  and,  like 
Singapore,  it  must  eventually  become  a  mart  for  the 
nations  of  the  Pacific.  Already  its  harbor  is  border- 
ed  with  ample  warehouses,  while  wharves  afford  ev 
ery  facility  for  loading  or  discharging.  Its  ship-yards 
for  repairing  vessels  are  unsurpassed  in  that  ocean. 
Artisans  of  every  craft  are  numerous.  Stores  are 
abundant;  in  short, the  materials  to  attract  commerce 
are  there,  and  yearly  its  advantages  are  more  fully 
appreciated.  A  visitor  does  not  perceive  all  this  at  the 
first  glance.  Coming  from  a  civilized  world,  the  for 
eign  houses,  the  signs  of  refinement  and  improve 
ment,  do  not  attract  his  notice.  These  he  is  accus 
tomed  to.  It  is  the  half-clad  semi-barbarian,  the 
naked  children  splashing,  leaping,  and  swimming 
about  the  vessel  like  so  many  amphibious  animals, 
that  first  draws  his  eye.  The  rude  canoe  shoots  over 
the  water  —  a  foreign  jargon,  apparently  harsh  and 
inharmonious  greets  his  ear.  He  looks  inland  and 
beholds  strange  natural  scenery,  extinct  volcanos, 
and  spectre-like  cocoa-nut  trees.  The  town  appears 
much  like  a  collection  of  hay  ricks.  The  numerous 
thatched  habitations,  with  their  low  doors,  small  win 
dows,  half  demolished  mud  walls  —  too  often  pigs 
within  and  children  without,  dirt  every  where,  dogs 
caressed  and  offspring  neglected,  these  and  much  else 
that  is  queer,  surprises  and  confuses  him.  In  time  he 
learns  to  distinguish,  amid  this  chaos,  all  the  inter 
mediate  stages  from  the  veriest  filth  and  poverty, 
crime  and  licentiousness,  the  Medusa-like  offspring 
of  former  heathenism,  in  which  the  vices  and  none  of 


44  NATIVE    MANNERS. 

the  virtues  of  civilization  have  rooted  themselves,  to 
the  orderly  households  of  even  native  families.  He 
will  see  that  some  of  their  habitations  are  well  built, 
neatly  furnished  to  the  extent  of  their  means,  and 
children  clothed  and  cared  for.  In  short,  Christianity 
and  civilization  have  set  their  seal  upon  many  such. 
Industry  and  orderly  habits  are  to  be  found.  But  it 
must  be  confessed  that  the  habitations  of  the  lowest 
orders  are  beyond  description,  vile.  Dirt  and  vermin 
abound  in  them.  A  few  ragged  mats,  a  bottle  or 
too,  an  old  stool,  some  calabashes  and  a  few  dresses 
of  cotton  or  calico  constitute  the  sum  total  of  their 
worldly  effects.  We  find  books,  however,  few  na 
tives  being  without  a  Bible,  hymn-book,  and  the  ele 
mentary  school  works.  These  abodes  are  shared  in 
common  with  swine,  dogs,  and  poultry,  who  are  quite 
upon  a  par  with  their  biped  comrades.  An  old  wo 
man,  whose  uncovered  cuticle  hangs  in  deep  folds 
about  her  person,  pets  an  enormous  hog,  which  roots 
about  her  uttering  most  affectionate  salutations. 
Young  and  old  of  both  sexes  are  mutually  employed 
in  searching  heads  in  pursuit  of  the  tiny  game,  which 
affords  a  choice  morsel.  The  internal  economy  of 
these  houses  is  of  the  most  gregarious  character. 
Men  and  women,  boys  and  girls,  fathers  and  daugh 
ters,  mothers  and  sons,  brothers  and  sisters,  married 
and  single,  lay  aside  all  modesty,  (which  with  very 
many  is  like  wearing  clothing,  a  habit  borrowed  from 
the  whites,  troublesome  in  itself,  and  only  to  be  used 
before  them,)  and  with  the  utmost  nonchalance  ap 
pear  only  in  the  bronzed  suit  nature  has  provided 
them.  Often  the  same  mat  is  shared  at  night  by  all, 


NATIVE    MANNERS  45 

and  the  same  tapa  covers  them.  Horrible,  says  the 
visitor,  what  savages!  Stop,  gentle  sir,  open  this 
gate,  which  stands  so  conspicuously  in  this  neat 
white  wall.  Within,  a  well  laid-out  garden  meets 
the  view;  arbors  of  grape  vines,  a  fish  pond,  many 
kinds  of  forest  trees,  flowers  in  full  bloom,  a  well 
brushed  greensward.  This  is  very  pretty.  Here  is 
a  neat  office.  Enter;  books,  table,  secretary,  and 
writing  apparatus,  all  fit  for  a  gentleman's  study. 
Look  there;  a  kitchen,  neat  and  in  good  order  — 
here  a  bath  room,  all  in  separate  buildings,  as  is  the 
fashion  in  these  islands.  Now  we  will  peep  into  the 
drawing-room.  It  is  a  thatched  building,  but  how 
very  pretty  and  airy.  The  posts  are  all  painted,  the 
thatch  laid  on  as  smooth  as  can  be.  Paintings  adorn 
the  walls;  the  best  China  matting  is  on  the  floor; 
the  furniture  is  abundant,  comfortable  and  handsome. 
Look  into  the  bed-room;  that  bed-stead  is  made 
from  a  cabinet  wood  grown  on  the  island,  than  which 
no  other  country  can  produce  a  more  beautiful.  The 
counterpane  is  as  white  as  snow.  Examine  every 
thing,  cupboards  and  all;  Yankee  house-keepers 
would  say  that  every  thing  '  was  as  neat  as  wax.' 
And  it  is,  indeed,  so ;  crack  and  corner  all  alike 
clean.  This  is  certainly  a  model  for  any  one.  Yet 
friend,  this  house  is  the  residence  of  a  pure  Hawaiian, 
and  single  also.  And  you  will  find  him  as  neat  in 
person  as  he  is  in  his  house,  and  withal  an  intelli 
gent,  clever  fellow.  He  was  a  common  native  once, 
but  has  raised  himself  mainly  by  his  own  exertions 
to  high  offices,  and  the  confidence  of  the  king.  He 
is  now  upon  a  special  mission  to  the  governments 


46  MISSION    BUILDINGS. STREET    SCENES. 

of  the  United  States,  England,  and  France.  His 
name  is  Haalilio. 

Great  as  are  the  contrasts  between  the  two  resi 
dences  described,  I  have  seen  as  great  in  Central 
America,  Peru,  and  Chili,  and  of  all  those  countries,! 
apprehend  that  Hawaii  is  advancing  with  the  most 
rapidity  in  the  path  of  order  and  civilization.  The 
buildings  of  the  American  mission  are  situated  at 
the  two  extremes  of  the  town,  the  east  and  west,  and 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  apart.  Hard  by  the  bridge, 
and  immediately  opposite  his  church,  is  the  residence 
of  the  Rev.  Lowell  Smith.  Towards  the  east,  and 
near  the  stone  church,  the  property  of  the  mission  is 
chiefly  concentrated.  Seven  dwelling-houses,  a 
printing  office,  bindery,  workshop,  and  storehouse, 
which  with  the  property  in  them  are  valued  at  forty 
thousand  dollars.  The  buildings  are  large  and  com 
modious,  but  I  shall  have  occasion  in  another  place 
to  speak  of  missionary  comforts  as  well  as  trials. 

The  streets  of  Honolulu  afford  many  novel  and 
amusing  spectacles.  They  furnish  a  sort  of  pano 
rama  of  the  transition  and  progress  between  old 
habits  and  new  —  past  ideas  and  present.  Ladies 
and  gentlemen  in  fashionable  finery,  officers  in  uni 
forms,  gigs  and  carriages,  (the  latter  somewhat  rare 
it  must  be  confessed,)  jostle  with  the  rude  savage 
from  the  interior,  the  maro  his  only  covering  and  his 
calloused  shoulders  groaning  beneath  a  heavy  load. 
Indeed,  I  shall  not  soon  forget  my  sensation  of  awk 
wardness  on  my  first  arrival  in  Honolulu,  while  es 
corting  a  lady-resident  through  the  streets.  One  of 
these  fellows,  as  naked  as  an  Apollo  de  Belvidere, 


STREET    SCENES.  47 

with  the  exception  of  the  miserable  apology  for  a 
cloth  about  his  loins,  met  us ;  he  was  the  first  I  had 
seen.  I  did  as  any  one  would  have  done  just  arrived, 
green  from  a  land  of  clothing ;  gazed  very  intently 
in  another  direction,  while  he  brushed  by.  We 
passed  others  in  our  walk  and  I  soon  looked  upon 
them  as  unconcernedly  as  my  fair  friend,  and  I  had 
not  been  a  month  in  the  place,  before  that  sort  of 
costume  had  become  so  natural,  that  thousands  might 
have  gone  by,  and  unless  my  attention  was  particu 
larly  directed  to  them,  I  could  not  have  told,  whether 
they  were  clad  or  not.  So  much  for  the  common 
ness  of  the  thing.  There  is  something  vulgar  in  an 
exposed  white  skin ;  but  a  red  one  is  so  much  like 
many  other  hues  in  trees  and  rocks  or  walls  about 
one,  that  a  perfect  indifference  to  the  common  expo 
sure  of  the  person  as  seen  in  all  warm  climates 
among  the  indigenous  inhabitants,  is  soon  acquired. 
To  return  to  the  crowd.  Native  women,  possessing 
but  little  more  of  the  world's  goods  about  them,  and 
displaying  sights  which  do  not  tend  to  increase  ad 
miration  for  their  sex,  saunter  lazily  about.  The 
common  dress  of  the  women  consists  simply  of  a 
loose  gown,  of  cotton  or  calico.  The  younger  and 
handsomer  pay  great  attention  to  their  toilet,  and  es 
pecially  towards  evening  throng  the  streets,  decked 
out  in  the  gayest  colored  calicos,  silk  or  satins ;  their 
hair  is  either  done  up  after  the  latest  fashions  imitated 
from  the  foreign  ladies,  or  is  encircled  with  rich  and 
expensive  wreaths  made  from  feathers.  The  less 
wealthy  wear  those  made  from  the  beautiful  crimson 
blossoms  of  the  ohla  tree.  The  effect  of  either  is 


48  STREET    SCENES. 

very  good,  though  the  latter  has  somewhat  of  a  bac 
chanalian  appearance.  Among  these  girls  one  occa 
sionally  meets  with  a  very  good  face,  but  their  coun 
tenances  generally  are  dark  and  broad,  and  with  rather 
gross  features.  For  all  that,  they  are  as  sensible  of 
admiration  as  the  most  civilized  belle,  and  parade 
their  charms  and  finery  with  an  air  of  quite  as  much 
self-satisfaction. 

Here  we  see  also  drays  hauled  by  brute  cattle  and 
human  cattle.  And  not  the  least  curious  objects,  are 
the  little,  low,  four-wheeled  vehicles,  a  sort  of  medi 
um  between  a  hand-cart  and  a  wheelbarrow,  drawn 
by  a  native  in  front,  while  another  pushes  in  the  rear. 
These  are  used  by  the  foreign  ladies  in  their  fashion 
able  calls  and  shopping.  Strapping  stout  fellows, 
bearing  on  a  stick  a  few  side  combs  or  pipes,  the 
value  of  the  whole  not  amounting  to  a  couple  of 
dimes,  while  away  the  entire  day  in  attempts  to 
peddle  their  goods.  Market  men,  balancing  their 
wares  which  are  placed  in  calabashes  slung  at  the  two 
ends  of  a  pole,  which  is  supported  at  the  middle  on 
their  shoulders,  adroitly  push  their  way  about  the 
crowd.  The  gain-seeking  industrious  but  dissipated 
Chinese  in  their  snowy-white  costume,  with  their 
long  tails  of  braided  hair  reaching  to  their  feet,  the 
jovial  tar  making  the  most  of  his  brief  reprieve  from 
the  forecastle,  in  short,  nondescripts  of  all  classes, 
ages,  sizes,  and  colors  complete  the  scene.  The 
clothing  put  into  requisition  is  of  the  most  varied  and 
fantastic  character.  One  man  with  all  the  self-satis 
faction  of  a  gentleman  of  fashion,  '  comme  il  faut] 
may  be  seen  promenading  with  nothing  on  except 


STREET    SCENES.  49 

his  maro  and  a  pair  of  warm  mittens ;  another  with 
only  a  coat ;  some  with  shirt,  vest,  and  coat,  minus 
the  pants  —  others  with  shirts  outside  their  pants; 
boys  with  men's  clothing ;  men  with  boys,'  so  short 
and  tight  they  can  only  waddle,  and  appear  as  ill  at 
ease  as  monkeys  in  clothing.  Many,  however,  are 
perfectly  well  clad,  and  these  incongruities  are  yearly 
disappearing,  as  the  resources  and  knowledge  of  the 
common  orders  increase.  Singular  displays  happen 
not  unfrequently,  in  the  efforts  to  appear  fine  at  a 
marriage.  A  bridegroom  who  had  not  the  where 
withal  himself,  (it  was  in  the  country,)  borrowed  of 
a  friend  a  huge  green  blanket  over-coat,  a  dickey,  and 
a  pair  of  fisherman's  boots,  the  thermometer  being  at 
ninety  degrees.  Thus  equipped  he  joined  his  bride, 
who  was  arrayed  in  a  new  cotton  garment,  her  only 
dress.  The  twain  hurried  to  the  residence  of  a  mis 
sionary,  who  soon  made  them  one,  The  husband 
restored  his  wedding  suit  to  its  owner,  passing  the 
honey-moon,  as  he  had  his  life  previous,  shirtless. 

A  spirit  of  waggery  or  good-humored  blackguard 
ism  exists  to  a  great  extent,  and  they  enjoy  a  joke  as 
heartily  as  the  Irish.  The  discomfited  party  receives 
no  quarter.  They  are  frequently  serious  upon  trifles, 
and  the  reverse.  I  bought  some  eggs  of  a  market- 
man,  at  my  door.  After  he  was  paid,  he  commen 
ced  crying  in  a  most  piteous  manner ;  his  grief  quite 
overcame  him.  Upon  inquiring  the  cause,  he  replied — 
;  his  "  aloha"  (love,)  for  the  eggs  was  very  great  indeed 
—  he  could  not  part  with  them.'  At  times  you  will 
hear  one  calling  to  another  across  the  street,  *  I  have 
5 


50  DOG    FEAST. 

been  born  again,  have  you  ? '  referring  to  a  change 
of  heart. 

None  should  leave  Oahu  before  partaking  of  a 
feast  after  the  native  manner.  This  the  hospitality 
of  the  residents  seldom  fails  to  provide.  A  spacious 
thatched  house  is  usually  selected  in  a  retired  spot  in 
one  of  the  valleys,  fresh  mats  laid  upon  the  floor, 
and  the  roof  decorated  with  flags,  flowers,  and  shrubs. 
The  table  is  spread  upon  the  ground,  upon  which 
the  guests  stretch  themselves  out  likewise.  A  pleas 
ant  position  by  way  of  variety,  but  painful  after 
it  ceases  so  to  be.  Dog,  baked  on  hot  stones  in  the 
ground,  or  luaued,  as  it  is  here  termed,  from  which 
the  entertainment  derives  its  name  luau,  constitutes 
the  chief  attraction.  All  strangers  profess  to  be  de 
sirous  to  taste  dog,  and  they  seldom  leave  disap 
pointed.  If  they  manifest  any  disapprobation,  they 
are  then  helped  to  pig,  alias  a  dog  with  a  pig's  head 
and  feet  ingeniously  attached,  which  invariably  is 
pronounced  very  fine.  So  much  for  the  reputation 
of  Oahu  poi-fed  pork. 

The  Hawaiian  method  of  cooking  is  excellent. 
The  rich  juices  of  the  meats  or  fish  are  preserved, 
and  a  delicious  flavor  imparted  from  the  taro  leaves 
in  which  they  are  enveloped.  But  the  choicest  mor- 
ceaux  are  the  fine  mullet,  raised  in  artificial  ponds 
by  the  chiefs,  where  they  are  fed  until  they  attain  a 
great  size  and  fatness.  They  are  seldom  to  be  ob 
tained,  except  as  a  gift,  being  reserved  exclusively 
for  the  aristocrats  of  the  land.  The  chiefs  are  great 
epicures  in  their  own  way,  reversing  the  order  of 
civilized  gourmands,  who  usually  prefer  their  meats 


SATURDAY    AFTERNOON.  51 

in  a  green  state,  while  they  esteem  it  an  additional 
relish  to  have  their  fishes  alive,  and  some  of  the 
smaller  sort  are  eaten  in  that  condition. 

There  are  few  spectacles  more  novel  and  interest 
ing  to  a  stranger,  than  that  to  be  witnessed  frequently 
in  this  town,  on  a  Saturday  afternoon ;  and  as  it  is 
one  which  yearly  is  losing  its  originality  and  becom 
ing  tempered  by  increasing  civilization,  I  am  induced 
to  devote  a  few  lines  to  preserving  such  of  its  feat 
ures  as  may  be  interesting  to  those  who  are  fond  of 
reviewing  things  *  all  of  the  olden  time.'  It  is  a  gala 
day  for  all  classes,  and  is  improved  to  its  full  e$- 
tent  by  the  natives.  He  who  has  never  seen  Ha 
waiian  horsemanship,  and  the  display  of  fashions 
that  flourish  at  that  time,  can  form  but  a  faint  con 
ception  of  the  scene.  Picture  to  yourself,  on  the 
wide  plain  to  the  east  of  the  town,  all  the  natives  as 
sembled,  from  the  tiniest  urchin,  to  the  portly  poi-fed 
adult,  weighing  but  little  short  of  three  hundred  and 
fifty  pounds,  who  have  been  so  fortunate  as  to  find 
four  legs  besides  their  own,  beneath  them.  Their 
Rosinantes  are  of  every  shape  and  hue,  as  may 
readily  be  imagined;  no  beast  being  allowed  to 
plead  an  alibi  on  so  momentous  an  occasion — a 
motley  assemblage  they  form,  from  the  meek,  all- 
enduring  jackass,  carrying  double,  to  the  kicking,biting, 
backing  mule,  whose  greatest  recommendation  is  the 
facility  with  which  he  can  dislodge  his  rider  —  from 
the  leanest,  lankest,  rib-protruding  horse  that  can 
scarce  hold  itself  up,  to  the  proud  steed  that  disdains 
the  ground  on  which  he  lightly  treads.  Of  saddles, 
the  majority  have  none  —  a  dirty  piece  of  kapa  in- 


52  SATURDAY    AFTERNOON. 

tervenes    between   the  dark   skin   of  some   and  the 
galled  back  of  the  unpitred  animal  which  they  stride 

—  others,  whose  resources  are  more  extensive,  are 
seated  upon  a  triangular  frame  of  wood,  over  which 
a  rough  piece  of  hide  is  thrown,  their  feet  upheld  by 
stirrups  of  rope  or  wood,  and  envied  is  the  individ 
ual  that  can  command  a  complete  fit-out.     The  bri 
dles  are  quite  as  various  and  primitive  as  the  rest  of 
the  equipments  —  a  rope,    noose,  or    nothing — on 
goes  this  cavalcade,  upon   the  run,  trot,  or  hobble, 
helter  skelter,  whooping  and  shouting,  like  so  many 

^Cossacks  in  a  hourra,  plying  their  heavy  spurs  to  the 
horses'  flanks,  their  loose  kapas  streaming  in  the 
wind,  bare-headed  and  bare-breeched,  away  they 
scamper,  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of  dust.  Enjoyment 
with  them  is  *  neck  or  nothing.'  Indeed,  a  Hawaiian, 
of  the  baser  sort,  when  mounted  upon  a  half-broken 
colt,  into  jvvhich  he  has  infused,  by  dint  of  kick  and 
blow,  his  own  impatient  spirit,  with  his  naked  legs 
close  clung  under  its  belly,  his  body  bent  forward  to 
an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  tossing  one  arm  into 
the  air  to  increase  the  already  headlong  course  of  his 
steed,  may  be  said  to  be  extremely  happy.  Glory  or 
ambition  have  no  further  charms  for  him  —  Alexan 
der  taming  Bucephalus  was  a  fool  to  him. 

In  striking  contrast  to  this  scene  is  a  little  group  of 
youngsters,  who  have  succeeded  in  ensnaring  some 
stray  donkey  in  their  toils.  Luckless  victim !  How 
quiet  he  stands  as  they  attempt  to  mount  his  bruised 
sides.  Now  one  succeeds  —  he  Voff —  another  tries 

—  off  again  —  scrambling,  pulling,  laughing  —  they 
enjoy  it,  if  the  donkey  does  not.     Such  fun ;  one, 


SATURDAY    AFTERNOON,  53 

two,  three  are  at  last  mounted  upon  the  diminutive 
animal,  their  feet  dangling  to  the  ground,  their  com 
panions  whipping  and  pushing  to  get  headway  upon 
him,  so  their  turn  may  come  next.  The  poor  beast 
can  endure  no  longer ;  he  makes  a  convulsive  start, 
much  like  a  locomotive,  and  with  a  jerk  leaves  his 
riders  sprawling  in  the  dust. 

Let  no  one  suppose  that  these  John  Gilpin  rides 
are  confined  exclusively  to  the  sterner  sex.  Far 
from  it.  This  equestrian  fever  burns  as  brightly  in 
the  bosoms  of  their  better  parts,  as  in  their  own  — 
contemning  alike  beaux,  side-saddles,  and  all 
garniture  so  much  esteemed  by  their  civilized  sisters. 
It  is  not  an  uncommon  sight  to  see  two  astride  of 
the  same  animal,  .careless  alike  of  looks,  conveni 
ence,  or  display  of  limb,  so  it  be  but  a  ride,  and  fast 
enough.  It  is  beyond  our  power  to  do  their  costume 
justice.  It  usually  consists  of  bright-colored  calico 
loose-gowns,  with  a  kihei,  or  piece  of  red,  green, 
yellow,  or  black  silk,  or  some  less  costly  material, 
wrapped  tightly  round  their  waist,  and  encircling  their 
nether  members  in  loose  and  graceful  folds.  Shoes 
and  stockings  are  luxuries  not  to  be  aspired  to,  by 
every  maiden.  Wreaths  of  flowers  or  feathers  deck 
their  brows,  and  necklaces  of  the  odoriferous  hala- 
nut  hang  upon  their  bosoms,  while  their  bright  eyes 
sparkle  with  triumph  as  they  look  down  upon  the 
staring  pedestrian.  Mingling  with  the  less  showy 
horsemen,  they  present  a  most  picturesque  coup  d?- 
osU.  But  to  produce  this  spectacle  in  all  its  novelty, 
His  Hawaiian  Majesty  and  Court  must  be  present, 
mounted  on  noble  animals,  handsomely  capari- 


54  SATURDAY    AFTERNOON. 

soned,  and  joining  in  the  crowd  in  all  the  pride  and 
state  of  conscious  rank.  Add  to  this  the  brilliant 
uniforms  of  naval  officers  that  may  be  in  port,  and 
the  neat  costume  of  the  residents,  some  on  horse 
back,  others  sporting  gigs  or  curricles,  and  we  have 
a  mixture  of  rude  barbarism,  and  show  of  civiliza 
tion,  with  every  intervening  grade,  which  no  other 
island  in  Polynesia  can  equal.  Here  are  found  peo 
ple  of  all  tongues  and  nations  —  English,  Scotch, 
and  Irish  —  Russians,  Americans,  and  Frenchmen 
—  Spaniards,  Danes,  and  Swedes  —  Portuguese, 
Japanese,  and  Chinese  —  Lascar  and  Arabian  — • 
the  kakaued  Marquesian,  the  Tahitian,  Samoan,  and 
forbidding  New  Zealander,  besides  many  others 
whose  origin  seems  to  be  a  combination  of  every 
variety,  all  gathered  together  for  one  purpose,  pleas 
ure  ;  but  the  chiefest  pleasure  is  to  gaze  upon  them. 
On  days  when  races  are  to  take  place,  the  crowd 
and  variety  are  greater  than  ever.  But  the  most 
striking  part  of  the  scene  occurs  towards  evening. 
During  the  afternoon,  the  populace,  dressed  in  their 
best  attire,  which  being  of  bright  colors,  makes  them 
look  like  a  crowd  of  harlequins,  or  a  parterre  of  va 
riegated  flowers,  to  the  number  of  many  thousands, 
assemble  in  the  main  street,  to  witness  the  compli 
cated  feats  of  horsemanship,  such  as  leaping,  plung 
ing,  racing,  kicking,  tumbling,  (off  sometimes,}  and 
various  other  approved  methods  of  showing  off, 
much  in  vogue  here,  among  some  ambitious  youth, 
and  greatly  to  the  edification  of  the  gaping  crowd, 
though  somewhat  to  the  danger  of  their  curious  per 
sons.  However,  this  fiery  zeal  soon  exhausts  itself. 


NUUANU  VALLEY. TARO  PLANT.        55 

and  as  it  grows  dark  the  motley  multitude  on  the 
plain  commence  their  return,  usually  preceded  by  his 
Majesty  and  suite,  who  ride  leisurely  along,  that  ple 
beian  eyes  may  gaze  their  fill  on  royal  and  patrician 
forms.  Pride  of  blood  holds  full  sway  here  —  no 
where  has  it  more  sincere  worshippers.  The  re 
mainder  make  their  way  to  their  several  homes ; 
some  quietly,  and  others  furiously  dashing  through 
the  crowd,  which  scamper  from  them  right  and 
left.  By  night  the  streets  have  regained  their  usual 
quiet,  and  a  few  stragglers  are  all  that  are  to  be  seen 
of  the  late  gathering. 

Out  of  town,  the  chief  point  of  attraction  is  Nuu- 
anu  valley.  At  its  mouth  lie  the  numerous  little  taro 
plantations,  which  afford  the  chief  sustenance  for  the 
native  population.  The  taro  or  kalo  is  planted  in 
square  or  oblong  beds  of  various  sizes,  prepared  with 
much  labor  and  expense.  The  soil  is  a  soft  rich 
mud,  kneaded  and  trod  into  the  consistency  of  a 
thick  paste.  The  plant  is  propagated  by  simply 
setting  out  the  tops  of  the  ripe  root;  the  water  is 
then  let  in  upon  them,  and  retained  by  means  of 
impervious  embankments.  Great  skill  is  displayed 
in  irrigating  and  cultivating  these  lands.  The  taro 
arrives  at  maturity  in  from  twelve  to  twenty-four 
months,  and  there  is  no  prettier  sight  in  the  agricul 
tural  kingdom  than  to  look  down  upon  the  valleys 
planted  with  this  vegetable.  The  regularity  of  the 
plantations,  the  intervening  foot-paths,  and  the  brown 
tints  of  the  overshadowing  hills,  contrast  beautifully 
with  the  deep,  rich  green  of  its  lily-shaped  leaves, 
as  they  wave  over  their  watery  beds.  The  root  is  of 


56  COUNTRY    RESIDENCES. 

a  dark  color,  and  in  form  like  a  beet.  In  its  natural 
state,  it  is  extremely  acrid  to  the  taste,  but  when  ba 
ked,  boiled  or  fried,  is  inferior  to  no  vegetable.  It 
is  a  good  substitute  for  bread ;  being  much  superior 
to  the  bread  fruit,  and  is  healthy  and  nutritious.  By 
the  natives  it  is  usually  prepared  in  the  form  of  a 
thick  paste,  called  poi,  and  not  eaten  until  it  has  fer 
mented  and  become  sour.  No  other  product  yields 
more  food  to  a  given  space  of  land,  and  none  is 
more  profitable  to  the  agriculturalist. 

A  good  carriage-road  runs  through  these  planta. 
tions,  for  five  miles  up  the  valley  until  it  reaches  the 
thickly  wooded  land,  where  the  hills  become  so  ab 
rupt,  ravines  so  deep,  and  forest  so  dense,  that  it  is 
tiresome  for  even  the  equestrian  to  penetrate  farther. 
But  Nuuanu  is  classic  ground  to  the  Oahuian.  Here 
was  fought  their  last  bloody  battle  for  independence ; 
here  fell  their  gallant  monarch,  and  the  brave,  am 
bitious,  but  treacherous  Kiana.  In  beauty,  stat 
ure  and  accomplishments,  nature's  true  nobleman.* 

Here  the  impetuous  and  ever  victorious  Kame- 
harneha  drove  his  routed  foe,  with  slaughter,  through 
its  dark  passes,  until  they  reached  the  brink  of  the 
pali,  when  death  by  the  musket  or  spear,  or  the  fatal 
leap  from  its  summit,  awaited  them.  Some  escaped 
in  the  gloom  of  the  forests,  but  many  were  sacrificed 
by  being  driven  headlong  over  its  brink.  It  is  a 
wild  and  beautiful  spot.  After  riding  through  the 
cultivated  lands  of  the  valley,  passing  the  numerous 
country  lodges  of  the  foreigners  which  dot  its  sur- 

*For  a  likeness  of  this  individual,  see  vignette,  title-page  to  His 
tory  of  the  Hawaiian  or  Sandwich  Islands. 


SCENERY  OF  THE  VALLEY.          57 

face,  the  land  gradually  ascends,  and  the  valley  nar 
rows  as  the  visitor  recedes  from  the  sea,  until  he 
enters  upon  the  woody  portion,  where  the  mountains, 
approaching  each  other,  attain  an  elevation  of  a  little 
short  of  four  thousand  feet.  Emerging  from  these 
copses  he  nears  the  termination  of  the  valley,  where 
the  mountains,  abruptly  receding  from  their  lofty  pin 
nacles,  meet  in  the  sweep  of  a  semi-circle,  present 
ing  broken  peaks,  which  in  the  distance  resemble  the 
parapets  of  a  ruined  fortification.  Approaching 
them,  he  enters  a  foot-path  which  winds  for  a  short 
space  among  them,  until  turning  the  outer  peak,  a 
coup  (Tail  greets  him,  as  unexpected  as  it  is  grand 
and  beautiful.  Standing  upon  the  offset  of  a  preci 
pice  of  six  hundred  feet  elevation,  the  eye  takes  in 
at  a  glance  the  rich  panorama.  On  either  side  form 
ing  one  vast  circular  wall,  for  a  dozen  miles  or  more, 
the  mountains  rise  precipitately,  yet  wooded  to  their 
very  summits.  In  the  distance  is  the  ocean  ;  nearer 
a  beautiful  bay,  dotted  with  rocky  islets,  and  wash 
ing  the  foundations  of  volcanic  headlands,  hoary 
with  age.  Beneath  him,  lies  a  fertile  plain ;  groves, 
hamlets,  and  small  streams  varying  its  expanse  ;  at 
its  further  border  the  sun  discloses  the  bright  walls  of 
the  buildings  of  the  mission  station  at  the  village  of 
Kaneohe.  The  whole  appears  as  if  it  had  once 
formed  an  immense  crater,  the  seaward  side  of 
which  had  subsided  into  the  waters,  discharging  its 
fiery  contents  into  the  ocean.  Time,  however,  has 
clothed  the  whole  in  Nature's  most  pleasing  hues. 
Native  ingenuity  and  foreign  art  have  made  a  com- 


58  PALI,  OR    PRECIPICE. 

paratively  easy  path  to  the  plain,  from  which  much 
of  the  marketing  for  Honolulu  is  derived.  When 
the  trades  are  the  freshest,  the  wind  rushes  with 
great  force  through  this  pass,  as  through  a  tunnel, 
and,  spreading  over  the  valley,  reaches  Honolulu 
with  scarcely  abated  violence. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Village  of  Waikiki. —  Ruined  House.  —  Diamond  Head.  —  Ruined 
Temple.  —  Manoa  Valley.  —  Singular  Crater.  —  White  Man  turn 
ed  Savage.  —  Little  Old  Man.  —  Anecdote  of.  —  Chief  hung.  — 
Forgery. —  Sunday  at  Honolulu.  —  At  Tahiti.  —  Fashions. — 
Remarkable  disappearance  of  Dresses  after  Religious  Service.  — 
Corsets  in  use.  —  Out  of  use.  —  Chiefs  Entertainments.  —  Extra 
ordinary  Preparations  in  honor  of  Captain  Finch,  U.  S.  N. — 
Children  of  Missionaries.  —  Danger  to  their  Morals.  —  Painful 
instances  of  Degradation  at  Tahiti. —  Boarding  School  Estab 
lished  at  Oahu. —  Sports  of  Native  Youth.  —  Musical  Kites. — 
Pearl  River. —  Ewa.  —  Church  and  Station. —  Waialua. — 
Maiual  Labor  School. —  Its  Success.  —  Ruins  of  a  Temple,  and 
Site  of  a  Tribe  of  Cannibals.  —  North  Side  of  Oahu.  —  Legends. 
—  Love  of  the  Marvellous. —  Poetry.  —  Example  of  Modern 
Style.  —  Shipwrecked  Japanese.  —  Account  of.  —  System  of  Nu 
merals. 

THE  village  of  Waikiki,  four  miles  to  the  east  of 
Honolulu,  built  under  a  beautiful  grove  of  cocoa- 
nut  trees,  bordering  the  beach,  was  the  former  capi 
tal.  In  it  still  remain  the  ruins  of  a  stone  house, 
once  the  residence  of  the  conqueror  Kamehameha. 
A  mile  beyond,  and  at  the  base  of  Leahi,  the  old 
well  known  crater  of  Diamond  Point,  whose  chalky 
sides  form  so  conspicuous  a  head-land,  is  a  relic  of 
paganism.  It  is  a  heiau  or  temple,  built  of  stone, 
and  in  very  good  preservation.  Its  length  is  about 
one  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  and  its  breadth  seventy. 
The  walls  are  of  black  lava,  compact,  and  well 
built ;  several  feet  thick  at  their  base  and  about  two 


60  MANOA  VALLEY. 

feet  wide  at  the  summit,  which  is  from  four  to  eight 
feet  in  elevation.  Its  altars,  sacred  houses,  and  sa 
cerdotal  accommodations  have  long  since  crumbled 
into  dust.  Upon  its  walls,  the  heads  of  Kiana,  the 
king  of  Oahu,  and  other  slain  chieftains  in  the  battle 
of  Nuuanu,  were  impaled.  Hecatombs  of  victims 
have  perished  within  its  precincts,  and  it  will  remain 
for  generations,  the  dark  and  repulsive  type  to  the 
Hawaiian,  of  what  this  nation  once  was  ;  while  the 
dreary  and  frowning  crest  of  Leahi,  rising  above, 
alike  recalls  the  mind  to  that  period  when  the  fires 
and  heavings  of  the  earth  beneath,  spread  terror  and 
destruction  among  the  affrighted  inhabitants.  They 
stand  well  beside  each  other;  one,  the  puny  and 
desolate  monument  of  man's  apostasy ;  the  volcano, 
the  wrathful  sign,  that  Nature  shared  the  curse  of 
Adam's  crime. 

Manoa  valley  is  a  beautiful  spot.  As  a  vessel 
passes  Diamond  Point,  and  comes  abreast  of  Wai- 
kiki,  this  valley  opens  to  view.  High  mountains 
enclose  it  on  every  side,  except  toward  the  sea,  from 
which  it  appears  like  the  interior  of  a  vast  natural 
bowl,  overgrown  with  dense  shrubbery,  and  forests, 
into  whose  gloom  the  sun  rarely  penetrates.  In  the 
valley  beyond  this,  which  from  the  difficulty  of  ac 
cess,  is  rarely  visited,  are  two  curious  objects ;  the 
one  a  freak  of  nature,  the  other  of  man.  Ascending 
by  a  narrow  foot-path,  a  spur  of  the  mountain  at  its 
upper  end,  the  explorer  enters  upon  a  dense  region 
of  vegetation,  wearisome  to  penetrate,  but  from  its 
novelty  and  richness,  enticing.  After  hours  of  up 
hill  scrambling,  slipping,  pushing,  and  dodging,  he 


A    WHITE    SAVAGE. 


61 


finds  he  has  made  considerable  advance.  A  vacant 
space  bursts  upon  him  ;  he  perceives  that  he  is  at  the 
source  of  one  of  those  pure  streams  of  water,  that  dash 
in  numerous  cascades  down  the  mountain  sides,  and 
meandering  through  the  vales  beneath,  diverted  by 
native  skill  into  a  thousand  channels,  give  life  and 
growth  to  the  thirsty  crops  near  the  sea.  Pushing 
aside  the  heavy  foliage  of  the  giant  trees  that  sur 
round  him,  a  deep  hollow  circle  is  described. 
Clouds  almost  perpetually  rest  upon  the  summits  of 
the  mountains  that  surround  the  dell,  the  bottom  of 
which  is  overgrown  with  dank  grass  and  reeds,  and 
is  wet  and  miry.  It  is  in  a  region  of  constant  show 
ers,  and  the  dampness  arising  from  its  misty  bosom, 
admonishes  one  not  to  tarry  long.  A  glance  suffices 
to  sho\v  the  great  depth  and  regularity  of  the  hollow, 
which  doubtless  wet  as  it  now  is,  once  was  the 
abode  of  a  far  different  element.  Its  shape  and  situ 
ation  both  define  it  as  a  crater,  and  that  too  of  no 
ordinary  extent. 

Returning  from  an  excursion  to  this  place,  with  a 
friend,  we  stopped  near  the  foot  of  the  hills  at  a  na 
tive  house.  It  was  of  the  most  ordinary  character, 
of  straw,  a  few  feet  high  only,  with  a  low  and  nar 
row  entrance,  more  fit  for  dogs  than  men.  A  herd 
of  swine  were  making  themselves  at  home  in  and 
about  it.  There  was  abundance  of  Hawaiian  wealth 
moving  about ;  that  is  to  say,  quadrupeds  and  feath 
ered  bipeds.  But  filth  was  the  most  prominent  char 
acteristic.  At  our  approach,  the  inhabitants,  both 
brute  and  human,  poured  out  to  meet  us,  with  a  noisy 
chorus  of  '  aloha,'  love  to  you,  the  yelping  of  curs, 
6 


62  LITTLE    OLD    MAN. 

and  the  grunting  of  the  more  stately  animal.     One 
of  the  men  at  once  attracted  my  attention.     He  had 
nothing  on  but  a  shirt  which    had  seen  long  and 
faithful  service,  guiltless  of  soap  or  water.     His  hair 
was  white  and  upright —  his  beard  long  and  gray  — 
his    eyes    red  and   sunken  —  his    limbs    attenuated, 
grimed  with  dirt,  yet  their  original  color  seemed  to 
have    been    white.      He    stood    gaping    curiously 
at  us,  surrounded  by  the  noisy  retinue.     To  me  he 
appeared  like  one  of  those  deformities  in  the  human 
race,  which  nature  seems  occasionally  to  indulge  in, 
as  if   to    show     how    repulsive    'the    human  form 
divine'  can  be  made.     '  What  a  singular  object,'  I 
exclaimed,  '  how  horrible.'      '  Hush,'  said  my  com 
panion,  'he  understands  English,'  and  so  we  passed 
on.     He  then  told  me  his  history.     Once  he  was  a 
respectable  while  man,  and  of  a  good  family  —  but 
drunkenness  had  ruined  him  many  years  ago.    Sud 
denly  he   vanished  from   Honolulu,  and  his  where 
abouts  was  not  known  for  a  long  while,  until  he  was 
found  living  in  this  plight,  away  from  the  white  man, 
and  among  the  rudest  of  the  Hawaiians.     There  are 
several  instances  here  somewhat  similar.     Men  who 
have  cast  off  every  outward  sign  of  civilization,  and 
forgotten  that  they  ever  saw  a  land  of  freedom  and 
knowledge.     Men  who  have  adopted  the  vices  of  the 
savage,  as  well  as  his  costume,  language,  and  man 
ners,  so  that  it  requires  a  sharp  eye  to  discriminate 
between  the  two.     They  are  content  to  fawn  about 
low  chiefs,  for  the  sake  of  eating  the  food  of  idle 
ness.     But  the  Hawaiian   Islands  will  soon  cease  to 
support  such.     There  is  a  little  old  man,  of  some- 


CHIEF    HUNG.  63 

what  better  deportment  than  this  class,  who  lives,  as 
he  was  preserved,  by  the  kindness  of  a  chief-woman, 
of  uncommon  dimensions.  He  had  deserted  from  a 
whale-ship,  and  taken  refuge  in  her  house.  His  pur 
suers  tracked  him  thither,  and  his  capture  seemed 
inevitable.  But  being  a  favorite  of  the  patrician 
dame,  her  ready  wit  soon  suggested  a  safe  retreat. 
There  was  no  bed  that  he  could  creep  under,  but 
there  was  something  which* was  rather  safer.  Seat 
ing  herself,  she  made  a  sign,  and  the  lucky  wight 
crept  under  —  no  matter  what  —  but  it  was  where, 
thanks  to  her  obesity,  he  had  sufficient  room,  and 
where  no  one  would  have  ventured  to  have  pursued, 
had  even  a  suspicion  of  his  locality  occurred.  The 
officers  arrived  and  sought,  but  sought  in  vain,  while 
the  old  lady  maintained  an  immovable  gravity,  and 
politely  entertained  them.  After  their  departure  he 
was  released. 

But  Honolulu  is  rapidly  giving  signs  of  increas 
ing  civilization.  Justice  at  her  police  court  is  dealt 
with  a  rapidity  and  fairness,  truly  edifying  to  all  ex 
cept  criminals.  In  1840,  a  chief,  having  become  en 
amored  of  another  woman,  undertook  to  rid  himself 
of  his  lawful  wife.  Uniting  himself  with  another 
man,  whose  desires  were  similar,  the  twain  prepared 
a  violent  vegetable  poison,  which  was  to  be  given  to 
the  spouse  of  the  chief  at  a  feast  prepared  for  that 
purpose.  It  was  infused  into  awa,  which  was  handed 
her  to  drink.  She  did  so,  complained  that  it  was 
bitter,  and,  after  suffering  much,  died  in  three  hours, 
first  asserting  that  her  husband  had  poisoned  her. 
The  criminals  were  tried  by  jury,  convicted,  and 


64  FORGERY. SUNDAY    AT    HONOLULU. 

finally  confessed  their  crime.  The  trial  was  con 
ducted  equitably,  and  with  dignity,  every  favor  the 
law  permitted  being  allowed  the  prisoners.  The 
chief  being  of  high  rank,  it  was  supposed  that  he  would 
be  pardoned.  But  the  majesty  of  the  law  was  vin 
dicated,  and  both  were  publicly  hung.  Another 
chief  undertook  to  forge  a  will,  purporting  to  be  in 
his  favor  and  that  of  the  king's,  from  Hoapili,  the 
old  governor  of  Maui.  But  the  forgery  was  proved 
upon  him,  his  property  was  confiscated  to  the  state, 
and  he  banished  to  the  island  of  Kahoolawe,  the 
abode  of  criminals,  where  he  remains  chief  among 
them.  Verily !  the  land  in  which  murder  erects  the 
gallows,  and  forgery  cannot  thrive,  even  among  the 
noble  and  powerful,  is  not  bad. 

Sunday  culls  out  the  best  attire  of  the  whole  pop 
ulation.  On  that  day,  stockings  and  shoes  grace  the 
feet,  and  bonnets  the  heads,  of  dames,  who,  during 
the  rest  of  the  week,  are  guiltless  of  any  such  display. 
The  churches  are  crowded,  and  the  congregations 
really  appear  well.  Incongruities  in  taste  of  course 
appear  among  those  for  whom  want  of  means  and 
knowledge  are  sufficient  apologies  for  not  being  par 
ticularly  exact  as  to  fit  and  shades.  But  all  are  clean, 
and  quiet,  and  happy.  Order  and  silence  reign,  ex 
cept  about  the  Romish  chapel,  where  the  throats  of 
the  faithful  seem  to  take  a  special  license  on  that 
day.  However,  as  they  indulge  only  in  the  merry 
converse  of  youthful  and  roguish  spirits,  there  is 
nothing  to  find  fault  with.  The  difference  between 
the  Hawaiian  ladies  and  the  Tahitian  is  at  no  time 
more  apparent  than  on  the  Sabbath.  The  former 


SUNDAY  AT  TAHITI. FASHIONS.        65 

appear  staid,  and  wear  dresses  mostly  of  puritanical 
plainness.  They  walk  home  from  church  in  them 
also,  and  all  appear  serious  and  thoughtful,  as  they 
trudge  along  with  their  children  clinging  to  one  hand, 
and  their  holy  books  in  the  other.  Not  so  the  Tahi- 
tians.  Of  better  forms,  lighter  complexions,  and  fairer 
countenances,  they  don  all  the  finery  which  money 
and  the  island  can  afford.  The  church  is  filled  with 
French  caps,  bonnets,  laces,  ribbons,  muslin  frocks, 
all  of  the  most  showy  and  fragile  description.  The 
more  that  can  be  piled  on,  the  better.  It  is  some 
what  comical  to  see  their  dark,  high-cheek-boned 
faces  almost  lost  amid  the  delicate  productions  of  the 
needles  of  Europe.  Onions  in  Flora's  choicest 
bouquets  would  not  look  more  outre.  So  that  their 
heads  resemble  the  specimen-blocks  at  a  milliner's 
windows,  their  feet  may  take  care  of  themselves. 
The  galleries  resemble  a  tulip-bed,  that  is,  provided 
the  eye  fixes  itself  at  a  certain  altitude.  But  should 
it  be  disposed  to  wander  a  little  lower,  it  will  see 
rows  of  bare  feet  stuck  through  the  supports  of  the 
railing,  looking  for  all  the  world  like  the  bulbs  of  as 
many  variegated  flowers.  But  the  way  they  leave 
the  church  is  an  example  for  all  who  have  a  discreet 
care  of  their  outward  gear.  Many,  I  clo  not  say  all, 
take  off  their  bonnets ;  next  go  their  frocks,  laced, 
fringed  petticoats,  finally,  all  that  is  liable  to  be  spot 
ted,  for  the  roads  are  muddy,  until  the  fair  ones  are 
seen  trudging  home  bare-legged  and  bare-headed, 
reduced  to  the  native  paleo,  their  national  costume 
of  yore.  Once  corsets  were  all  the  rage  ;  their  fat 
forms  were  squeezed  into  the  smallest  compass  pos- 


66  ENTERTAINMENTS. 

sible.  The  veriest  martyr  to  tight  boots  never  bore 
compression  more  resignedly  than  these  dames,  un 
til  one  day,  a  wag  told  them  that  they  were  nothing 
but  machines  of  torture,  and  would  eventually  occa 
sion  their  deaths.  It  so  happened,  the  following 
Sunday,  a  damsel  fainted  under  the  squeeze.  Hor 
ror  struck,  the  fair  victims,  believing  the  words  of  the 
white  man  were  being  literally  fulfilled,  thenceforth 
eschewed  corsets. 

The  chiefs  occasionally  give  entertainments,  which, 
by  the  aid  of  the  ladies  of  the  mission,  pass  off  very 
well.  Some  small  display  of  plate  is  made,  but 
there  is  neither  sufficient  wealth  nor  taste  to  prepare 
anything  costly  or  refined.  Great  improvement  in 
the  social  circle  has  taken  place,  however,  since 
Stewart  wrote  in  such  raptures  of  the  ladies'  boudoirs, 
and  gentlemen's  drawing-rooms,  though  at  that  time 
an  extraordinary  effort  was  made  to  impress  vis 
itors  favorably.  The  lady  chiefs  of  the  highest  rank 
had  then  determined  upon  giving  Captain  Finch  and 
his  officers  a  somewhat  recherche  entertainment. 
Their  skill,  industry,  taste,  and  resources,  were  all  to 
be  exhausted  in  having  it  "  comme  il  faut."  The 
tables  were  spread  at  their  best  habitation,  and  the 
chiefesses,  ali  arrayed  in  their  most  costly  and  civil 
ized  attire,  prepared  to  receive  the  expected  guests. 
Some  of  the  mission  ladies,  apprehensive  that  room 
for  improvement  might  still  remain,  notwithstanding 
the  degree  of  the  hosts,  shortly  before  the  company 
were  to  arrive,  took  a  peep  at  the  state  of  things. 
Imagine  their  consternation  upon  entering  the  hall, 
amid  all  the  splendor  of  the  preparations,  to  see 


CHILDREN    OF    MISSIONARIES.  67 

placed  before  each  seat,  to  the  number  of  thirty,  or 
so,  a  huge  white  (to  ears  polite)  nameless  something, 
but  precisely  the  same  article  that  a  certain  Persian 
ambassador,  at  London,  once  being  short  of  crockery 
at  a  party,  made  use  of  to  serve  up  ices  in.  The 
chiefesses,  with  great  reluctance,  were  prevailed  upon 
to  banish  the  obnoxious  ornaments,  though,  from  not 
being  sent  expeditiously  to  a  suitable  distance,  other 
eyes  caught  glimpses  of  them  during  the  evening. 

A  great  draw-back  upon  the  prosperity  of  the 
American  mission,  heretofore,  has  been  the  want  of 
means  for  educating  their  children.  When  young, 
they  are  exposed  to  the  pernicious  influence  of  na 
tive  servants,  the  best  of  whom  cannot  be  trusted ; 
not  so  much,  in  many  cases,  from  a  want  of  disposi 
tion  to  discharge  their  duties  properly,  but  from  igno* 
ranee,  and  the  effects  of  their  early  corrupt  life.  No 
subject  or  act  is  too  gross  for  them,  accustomed,  as 
they  have  been  from  their  infancy,  without  the  faint 
est  conception  of  impropriety,  to  sights  and  conver 
sation  which  would  shock  the  rudest  civilized  being. 
So  well  aware  are  foreign  parents  of  this  fact,  that 
they  leave  no  step  untried  to  shield  their  offspring 
from  such  baneful  influences.  By  many  the  Hawa 
iian  tongue  is  prohibited  from  being  spoken  in  their 
presence  ;  but  this  is  but  a  partial  preventive,  for  the 
quick  ear  of  childhood,  despite  all  restrictions,  soon 
learns  to  master  a  language  so  easy  to  acquire. 
Others  endeavor  to  give  their  whole  attention  to  their 
children,  and  allow  no  access  whatever  on  the  part 
of  the  population  about  them.  This  is  a  policy  of 
doubtful  good,  and  certainly  renders  the  missionary 


68  DEGRADATION    AT    TAHITI. 

of  little  practical  use  to  the  people  whom  he  has  de 
voted  his  life  to  benefit.  The  generality  receive  the 
best  attention  the  circumstances  of  their  parents  af 
ford,  and  are  usually  sent,  at  an  early  age,  to  the 
United  States,  to  live  upon  the  bounty  of  friends,  or 
the  public  ;  and  as  they  have  but  little  hope  of  seeing 
their  parents  again,  to  seek  their  way,  under  unfavor 
able  circumstances,  to  independence.  As  the  islands, 
at  present,  offer  but  a  limited  field  to  the  enterprise 
of  foreign  youth,  this  becomes  almost  a  necessity, 
and  thus  it  is  that  the  good  effects  produced  by  mis 
sion  labor  upon  heathen,  are,  to  some  extent,  neutral 
ized  by  the  unfortunate  position  of  their  own  chil 
dren.  Some  may  receive  benefit  by  the  change,  but 
others  endure  privations  and  disappointments  which 
cannot  but  affect  their  whole  after  life.  At  the  Ha 
waiian  islands,  the  missionaries,  as  yet,  have  not 
been  pained  by  any  instance  of  youthful  corruption. 
Their  children,  for  correctness  of  deportment  and 
general  intelligence,  may  bear  comparison  with  those 
of  the  same  age  in  the  United  States.  But  at  the 
Society  islands,  where  moral  and  civilized  advan 
tages  have  been  less,  and  the  system  of  training  dis 
similar,  the  case  has  been  widely  different.  Mis 
sionaries,  there,  have  had  to  mourn,  not  only  over 
sons  plunged  into  every  species  of  vice,  but  daugh 
ters,  even,  in  some  instances,  have  lost  their  inno 
cence,  and  become  as  corrupt  as  the  native  females 
about  them.  Their  conduct  has  given  rise  to  the 
well-known  reproach  on  the  part  of  the  aborigines, 
'  What  can  you  expect  of  us,  when  your  own  chil 
dren  are  no  better  ? '  With  the  desire  and  labor  of 


BOARDING    SCHOOL. NATIVE    SPORTS.  69 

benefiting  a  people  immersed  in  the  grossest  sensu 
ality,  they  have  seen  their  dearest  hopes  blighted,  and 
their  cherished  blessings  changed  to  gall  and  bitter 
ness. 

To  obviate  the  liability,  even,  of  such  evil  conse 
quences  at  the  Hawaiian  group,  the  mission,  at  their 
annaal  meeting  at  Honolulu  in  1841,  passed  a  reso 
lution  to  establish  a  boarding-school,  to  be  under  the 
charge  of  one  family  of  their  number,  where  all  the 
children  could  be  accommodated,  and  enjoy  the  ben 
efits  of  a  good  English  education,  entirely  secluded 
from  native  influence.  The  funds  were  raised  by 
contribution  among  themselves  and  their  friends, 
and  a  large  building  commenced  at  Punaho,  a  pretty 
spot  two  miles  from  town.  Should  the  circumstan 
ces  of  the  islands  hereafter  so  change  as  to  afford  a 
field  for  the  industry  of  this  numerous  class,  (for 
they  now  number  upwards  of  100,)  their  parents 
may  have  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  them  the  stay  of 
their  old  age,  and  the  occupants  of  new  fields  of  use 
fulness. 

The  sports  of  the  youth  of  Honolulu  are  quite 
New-England  like.  *  Tag,  quorum,  bat  and  ball,' 
all  have  their  seasons,  and  are  as  heartily  enjoyed  as 
if  each  urchin  had  just  left  a  well-built  brick  house, 
with  clean  face  and  hands,  a  snow-white  collar  turn 
ed  over  his  new  broadcloth  jacket,  and  his  mamma's 
latest  injunction,  '  don't  soil  your  clothes,'  ringing  in 
his  ear,  as  he  slammed  the  door  in  her  face.  There 
must  be  something  sincere  in  the  reform  of  a  nation, 
whenever  national  sports  are  abandoned,  and  ration 
al  ones  substituted.  It  is  so  here.  During  the  win- 


70  MUSICAL    KITES. PEARL    RIVER. 

ter  months,  the  heavens  are  assailed  with  kites  of 
every  shape,  hue,  and  size,  mostly  the  result  of  the 
ingenuity  of  the  Chinese  portion  of  the  inhabitants. 
Some  ingeniously  imitate  sharks,  with  their  gaping 
mouths,  swimming  through  the  air ;  others,  birds  of 
prey  darting  upon  their  victims ;  the  planets  all  have 
their  patterns,  and  each  so  naturally  made  and  skil 
fully  flown  as  to  resemble  life.  But  what  is  truly 
curious,  is  the  musical  kite.  A  doleful  noise  is  heard 
in  the  air.  At  times  it  swells  out  loudly  and  mourn 
fully,  like  the  notes  of  an  organ  ;  again  it  subsides 
into  a  low,  monotonous  hum ;  then  it  rises  into  a 
prolonged  shriek,  varying  its  cadences  according  to 
the  force  of  the  wind.  Until  the  cause  is  ascertain 
ed,  the  effect  is  somewhat  startling.  It  is  produced 
by  some  novel  mechanism,  attached  to  their  kites,  by 
the  ingenious  sons  of  the  celestial  empire. 

Leaving  Honolulu  on  the  west,  a  tolerable  road 
conducts  the  traveller  to  Ewa,  or,  as  it  is  more  com 
monly  called,  Pearl  River,  from  the  abundance  of 
inferior  pearls  found  in  its  vicinity.  Three  miles 
from  town,  a  narrow  valley,  with  almost  precipitous 
sides,  intersects  the  road.  This  valley  is  remarkable 
for  the  distorted  growth  of  a  number  of  cocoa-nut 
trees,  which  present  the  singular  appearance  of 
healthy,  fruit-bearing  trees,  with  trunks  shooting  from 
the  ground  at  an  angle  almgst  parallel  with  it,  and 
then,  as  it.  were,  turning  upon  their  own  tracks,  and 
growing  in  the  opposite  direction  ;  the  upper  half  of 
their  trunks  being  nearly  at  right-angles  with  the 
lower.  The  remaining  trees  of  the  grove  are  straight 
and  lofty.  Ewa  is  one  of  those  protestant  mission- 


EWA. CHURCH    AND    STATION.  71 

ary  stations,  so  numerous  about  this  group,  and 
which,  both  morally  and  physically,  can,  with  truth, 
be  likened  to  oases  in  a  desert.  Here  a  track  of 
blood-red  and  dry  soil  surrounds  a  small  but  verdant 
spot,  watered  by  a  diminutive  stream,  on  the  banks 
of  which  the  native  hamlet  is  mainly  congregated. 
The  luxuriant  display  of  the  numerous  cultivated 
patches,  contrasts  favorably  with  the  barren  aspect  of 
the  surrounding  hills,  on  one  of  which  is  erected  the 
church.  Environed  as  it  is  by  a  palisade  fence,  in 
the  distance,  it  resembles  more  a  stockade  fort,  than  a 
temple  of  peace.  Here,  as  at  all  the  mission  stations, 
the  domestic  habits  of  the  population,  their  houses, 
and  clothing,  give  evidence  that  the  teachings  of 
their  instructors  are  not  exclusively  confined  to  the 
interests  of  the  world  to  come,  but  that  a  due  regard 
for  their  welfare  and  decent  appearance  in  the  pres 
ent  life  is  inculcated.  Indeed,  each  station  of  this 
nature  may  be  considered  as  a  beacon  of  civilization  ; 
the  rays  from  which  are  diffused  over  an  extensive 
circle  with  diminishing  brightness  as  they  recede 
from  their  source,  until,  in  the  gloom  of  the  forest, 
or  the  shores  of  the  far-off  sea-side,  the  Hawaiian 
perpetuates  his  former  social  habits,  if  not  his  religion. 
This  district  is  the  site  of  a  large  lagoon.  Near  its 
mouth  a  bed  of  the  common  edible  oyster  is  found, 
elevated  above  the  water,  and  in  a  partially  fossilized 
condition.  This  is  the  more  remarkable,  as  no  liv 
ing  specimen  has  yet  been  discovered  anywhere  in 
the  group.  A  few  miles  beyond,  commences  the 
range  of  mountains  which  forms  the  boundary  of 
the  district  of  Waianae.  A  cheerless  and  barren 


72     WAIALUA. SCHOOL, TEMPLE. CANNIBALS. 

portion  of  the  island,  sparsely  populated  by  an  igno 
rant  and  restless  people.  Here  the  faction  of  Bold, 
in  former  days,  was  strong ;  and  at  the  present,  Ro 
manism  reckons  many  converts,  and  a  small  chapel 
amid  its  wild  and  almost  inaccessible  recesses. 

Waialua,  a  mission  station  on  the  western  portion 
of  the  island,  is  a  pretty  and  flourishing  village.  Be 
side  the  family  of  the  pastor,  a  teacher  of  the  name 
of  Locke,  under  the  auspices  of  the  American  mis 
sion,  has  commenced  a  boarding-school  for  boys, 
upon  the  manual-labor  system.  About  twenty  acres 
are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  the  produce  of 
which  finds  a  ready  sale  at  Honolulu,  though  thirty 
miles  distant,  and  aids  in  sustaining  the  establish 
ment.  The  combination  of  labor  with  instruction  is 
judicious,  and  promises  well. 

Inland,  ten  miles  from  this  village,  is  a  beautiful 
and  retired  rural  spot.  Tt  lies  between  two  deep  ra 
vines,  and  resembles,  in  shape,  an  ox-bow.  The 
only  access  to  it  is  from  towards  the  sea,  over  an 
isthmus  of  but  a  few  yards  in  width.  Its  area 
embraces  several  hundred  acres,  verdant  and  pic 
turesque,  but  now  regarded  with  superstitious 
dread,  from  once  having  been  the  rendezvous  of  a 
clan  of  cannibals.  The  ruins  of  an  extensive  heiau 
can  still  be  traced,  and  the  site  of  the  house  of  the 
chief,  who  was  the  terror  of  the  island.  Near  it,  is  a 
large  flat  stone,  which  goes  by  the  name  of  ipu  kai, 
or  meat  platter.  For  on  it,  as  runneth  tradition,  the 
chief  roasted  and  dissected  the  victims  whom  he  had 
enticed  into  his  domains,  or  more  boldly  seized  in 
battle.  Three  thousand  people,  living  in  the  imme- 


LOVE    OF    THE    MARVELLOUS.  73 

diate  vicinity  of  the  temple,  acknowledged  him  as 
their  lord  ;  of  their  descendants,  but  a  few  families 
remain.  Kaanokeewe,  a  sub-chief,  was  the  princi 
pal  procurer  of  human  flesh  for  his  master's  unholy 
orgies.  Being  a  man  of  prodigious  strength,  he  was 
sure  to  come  off  conqueror  in  single  combat,  and 
his  taste  so  well  agreed  with  his  superior's,  that  he 
finally  destroyed  and  eat  many  of  his  own  relatives. 
However,  one  escaped,  and  having  acquired  experi 
ence  in  arms,  attacked  the  monster,  and  killing  him, 
put  an  end  to  the  custom. 

The  north  side  of  Oahu  affords  much  rich  scenery. 
The  gorge  of  Kaliuaa,  in  particular,  is  worthy  of 
notice.  It  was  a  holy  place  in  by-gone  days,  and 
numerous  temples,  and  the  remains  of  priestly  edi 
fices,  partially  overgrown  with  vegetation,  attest  its 
former  sanctity.  Here,  also,  chiefly  resided  the 
famed  Kamapuaa,  the  Centaur  of  Hawaii,  half  hog 
and  half  man.  Tomes  might  be  compiled  of  the 
wild  traditions,  horrible  stories,  and  legendary  my 
thological  tales,  which  still  exist  among  the  people, 
and  whose  influence  they  feel,  and  will  continue  to, 
even  after  the  present  generation  shall  have  ceased 
to  exist.  Letters  may  be  learned,  and  even  sciences 
acquired,  but  room  still  continues  to  be  found  in  the 
mind,  though  yearly  lessened,  for  the  quaint,  the 
visionary,  and  the  horrible,  which  their  forefathers 
believed,  and  trembled  to  repeat.  The  dark  dell,  the 
fabled  abode  of  some  forest  demon,  or  that  mis 
shapen  rock,  whose  fancied  resemblance  to  the  brute, 
or  human  form,  has  occasioned  thousands  to  bow 
down  to  them,  have  not  entirely  lost  their  spell.  The 
7 


74  POETRY. 

outward  man  spurns  at  the  homage,  but  the  inner 
man  confesses  the  fear.  Ghosts  and  sprites  are  in 
the  day-dreams,  as  well  as  the  night-visions,  of  the 
people,  and  the  Hawaii  an  a  continue  a  superstitious 
and  spirit-fearing  race.  In  all  their  images  of  the 
supernatural,  nothing  of  the  beautiful  finds  an  origin. 
The  disgusting  or  dreadful  alone  obtains  in  their 
darkened  ideal.  There  are  exceptions  among  the 
enlightened  and  better  educated,  for  the  preceding 
remark,  in  its  unqualified  sense,  applies  only  to  the 
lowest  orders;  the  most  numerous  class  of  every 
community. 

A  taste  for  poetical  expression  prevails  to  a  very 
considerable  extent*  The  following  composition 
will  serve  to  show  its  general  character  among  those 
converted  to  Christianity.  It  was  composed  by  a 
graduate  of  the  high  school  at  Lahainaluna,  while 
watching  the  corpse  of  the  son  of  a  missionary  to 
whom  he  was  much  attached.  The  author  was  a 
young  man  of  moderate  abilities,  who  died  himself 
shortly  afterwards.  I  give  it  in  the  original,  as  a 
specimen  of  the  Hawaiian  language,  and  a  literal 
translation  into  English. 


*  In  February,  1843,  the  comet  which  appeared  so  conspicuously 
to  the  inhabitants  of  the  United  States,  shone  in  equal  size  and 
splendor  in  the  Hawaiian  heavens.  Unlike  the  ignorant  of  our 
country,  the  Hawaiians  regarded  it,  not  as  an  object  of  fear,  but  po 
etically  called  it  the  broad  pennant  of  their  beloved  king,  receding 
from  the  skies,  and  taking  leave  of  their  race.  This  was  just  after 
the  seizure  of  the  islands  by  Lord  Paulet  in  behalf  of  Great  Britain. 
One  of  the  tars  of  the  English  frigate  Carysfort,  borrowing  the  idea, 
interpreted  it  to  his  ship-mates  as  the  broad  pennant  of  Captain 
Cook,  displayed  by  him  in  honor  of  the  English  flag  waving  over 
the  group,  where  he  met  his  violent  death. 


EXAMPLE    OF    MODERN    POETRY.  75 


HE  KANIKAU 

ka  make  ana  o  Gerita,  ka  makahiapo  a  Dauta  luda  ma;    i  make 
ma  Honolulu  Nov.  13,  1839. 

NA  HOOHANO  i  haku. 

Aloha  wale  ka  pua  nani, 
O  ka  Kauka  kihapai, 
Ua  haule  ia,  ua  nalo  no, 

0  ka  pua  i  opuu  mua  a  mohala  maikai  ai, 
A  ikea  kona  nani,  a  ala  no  hoi, 

Aka,  hiki  mai  ka  la  wela  a  mae, 

A  haule  no  ua  pua  nani  nei. 

Haohao  ka  mea  kihapai  i  ka  haule  ana  o  kehahi  pua, 

Imi  ia  aole  loaa  hou,  ua  nalo, 

Ua  palaho,  ua  huipu  me  ka  lepo. 

Auwe  !  aloha  ino  no  na  laau  ohiohi, 

1  kupu  maikai  ae  a  ua  mae  ka ! 

Kulou  na  pua  a  pau,  me  ka  honi  a  ala  no 

Ku  lakou  a  puni  me  ka  mini  nui, 

Auwe  !  auwe !  kuu  pua  e,  i  haule  iho  nei ! 

Ninau  ke  konohiki  i  kona  hakuaina, 
'  Pehea  la  kou  manao  i  keia  puo  no, 

Au  i  kanu  ai  ma  ko'u  kuauna  ? ' 

Olelo  mai  ka  haku, 
'  Ua  lawe  au  i  ke  aka  o  kona  nani  a  pau, 

A  haule  kona  opuu  a  huipu  me  ka  lepo.' 

Nani  wale  ka  ulu  ana  o  na  laau. 

Aloha  ino  ka  hoaaina, 

I  ka  una  i  ka  imi  me  ka  mihi  nui  no, 
'  Auhea  oe  e  Gerita  i  hele  iho  nei, 

Ahea  oe,  e  hoi  mai  me  ou  hoahanau  ? 

Hele  hookahi  oe  ma  ke  ala  mehameha, 

Hele  malihini  ma  ke  ala  ikea  ole  ia. 

E  Gerita,  e  Gerita,  eia  no  makou  a  pau, 

Na  pua  helelei  a  haule  aku  no. 

Auhea  oe,  e  hele  oe  i  kamaaina  aloha  no  makou  nei  a  pau, 

E  Gerita  e  Gerita  e  hele  no  oe  ma  ka  makemake  o  kou 
Haku, 

Aole  no  e  hiki  ke  hoole  i  kou  manao. 

E  hele  oe,  e  hele  oe  a  hele  io  no  ma  ke  ala  mehameha, 

A  pii  ma  ke  ala  hulili  o  ko  ke  Akua  aupuni, 

A  komo  i  ka  pa  nani  o  lerusalema, 

A  komo  i  ka  malu  o  ko  ke  Akua  aupuni; 

E  himeni  ana  oe  me  na  anelu  maikai, 

He  hana  hoomaha  ole  kau  hana  malaila. 

E  Gerita,  e  Gerita, 

Aloha  ino  makou  i  ka  ike  ole  ia  oe  ; 

0  ka  nalo  ana  no  na,  aole  hoi  hou  mai,' 


76  EXAMPLE    OF    MODERN    POETRY. 

[TRANSLATION.] 

ELEGY 

On  the  death  of  Gerrit  P.  Judd,  Jr.,  at  Honolulu,  November  13,1839; 

aged  ten  years,  eight  months,  and  five  days. 

BY  HOOHANO,  a  Sandwich  Islander. 

Farewell  to  the  beautiful  flower  of  the  Doctor's  garden! 

It  has  fallen  and  vanished  away  ; 

The  flower  that  budded  first  and  blossomed  fair, 

Whose  splendor  and  fragrance  were  known ; 

But  the  burning  sun  came,  and  it  withered, 

And  that  beautiful  flower  has  fallen. 

The  occupant  of  the  garden  then  wondered 

That  a  single  flower  was  gone  from  his  sight. 

He  sought  it,  but  found  it  not  again, 

It  was  gone,  it  was  decayed, 

It  was  mingled  with  the  dust. 

Alas  !  what  a  pity  for  the  plants  to  be  plucked ! 

They  flourish  well,  but  soon  wither. 

All  the  flowers  bowed  their  heads,  smelling  the  fragrance ; 

They  stood  around  it  in  great  sorrow. 

Alas !  alas  !  O,  my  flower  that  has  fallen ! 

The  chief  tenant  inquired  of  his  Landlord: 
'  What  thinkest  thou  concerning  this  flower, 

Which  thou  didst  plant  in  my  border  ?' 

The  Lord  replied  :  '  I  have  taken  away 

The  image  of  all  its  glory ; 

Its  bud  has  fallen,  and  is  mingled  with  the  dust.' 

How  beautifully  the  plants  flourish ! 

Compassion  for  the  tenant  mourners,  and  searching  with 

grief: 
'  Whither,  O  Gerrit.  hast  thou  gone  ? 

When  wilt  thou  return  to  thy  birth-mates  ? 

Thou  hast  gone  alone  in  the  way  that  is  lonely ; 

Thou  hast  gone  a  stranger  in  an  unknown  path. 

O  Gerrit,  Gerrit!     Behold,  we  all 

Are  falling  flowers,  and  soon  to  fall. 

Where  art  thou  ?     Go  on,  a  kind  pioneer  for  us  all. 

O,  Gerrit,  Gerrit !  thou  goest  at  the  pleasure  of  thy  Lord, 

And  none  can  forbid  thy  design. 

Go  thou  ;  travel  on,  till  thou  art  wholly  gone, 

Along  the  lonely  pathway, 

And  ascend  the  ladder  of  God, 

And  go  within  the  glorious  walls  of  Jerusalem, 

And  enter  into  the  peace  of  God's  kingdom. 

Thou  art  singing  hymns  with  good  angels. 

And  endless  employment  is  thy  employment  there. 

0,  Gerrit,  Gerrit !  how  deeply  we  mourn, 

Because  we  cannot  now  see  thee ; 

Because  thou  hast  gone  from  our  sight, 

And  will  not  return  to  us  more.' 


SHIPWRECKED    JAPANESE.  77 

Honolulu  is  quite  a  resort  for  Japanese,  who  have 
either  been  wrecked  on  the  shores  of  Oahu,  or  picked 
up  at  sea  by  vessels  of  other  nations,  after  having 
been  for  months  exposed  to  the  casualties  of  the 
ocean,  in  their  imperfect  and  rude  barks.  The  most 
interesting  band  of  this  nation,  which  misfortune 
thus  brought  to  these  shores,  arrived  at  Lahaina,  in 
the  fall  of  1839.  They  were  brought  by  the  whale- 
ship  James  Loper,  Captain  Cathcart.  On  the  6th  of 
June  of  that  year,  when  in  north  latitude,  thirty  de 
grees,  and  east  longitude,  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
four  degrees,  he  fell  in  with  the  wreck  of  a  junk. 
Seven  individuals  were  still  alive  upon  it,  who,  with 
all  their  movable  property,  were  transferred  to  his 
ship.  The  junk  was  then  set  on  fire.  Four  of  their 
number  were  distributed  among  other  ships,  and  all 
finally  were  landed  at  Oahu.  With  a  benevolence 
which  is  characteristic  of  American  whalers,  their 
wants  were  all  gratuitously  supplied,  and,  at  the  ex 
piration  of  four  months,  when  they  were  put  ashore, 
although  they  had  a  considerable  amount  of  property 
with  them,  together  with  a  quantity  of  gold  and-sil- 
ver,  handsomely  coined  in  the  form  of  parallelo 
grams,  of  various  sizes  and  value,  none  was  retained 
by  way  of  compensation. 

Among  the  number  saved  was  Hesherro,  a  man 
of  fifty  years  of  age,  the  owner  of  the  junk,  and,  in 
his  own  country,  a  person  of  wealth  and  conse 
quence.  He  appeared  to  be  well  educated,  and 
pious ;  that  is  to  say,  devoted  to  the  idolatry  of  his 
native  land,  being  most  punctual  in  his  devotion  to  a 
little  gilded  idol,  which,  with  a  string  of  beads,  was 
7* 


78  SHIPWRECKED    JAPANESE. 

enclosed  in  a  wooden  box.  No  consideration  could 
induce  him.  to  part  with  it.  When  urged  to  do  so, 
he  would  clasp  his  hands  upon  his  breast,  shake  his 
head,  and,  in  his  imperfect  English,  imploringly  ex 
claim,  '  By  by,  me  die ! '  He  had  left  five  children  to 
deplore  his  loss ;  and  his  earnestness  to  be  conveyed 
to  his  home  was  painfully  intense.  All  desired  to 
reach  their  native  land ;  but  his  desire  was  especially 
strong.  When  any  vessel  anchored  in  the  roads,  he 
would  come  and  bow  down  humbly  before  the  mis 
sionary,  with  whom  the  party  was  staying,  and,  point 
ing  to  his  children,  exclaim,  *  Kudomo ! '  (Japanese 
for  children,)  and  express  their  number  by  holding 
up  five  fingers,  while,  with  the  other  hand,  he  would 
point  to  his  eye,  and  say,  '  Me  no  see.'  The  elo 
quence  of  his  expression  told  of  the  deep  parental 
affection,  which  burned  within  the  old  man.  He 
was  found  dead,  one  morning,  and  buried  at  Hono 
lulu. 

From  the  others,  much  information,  in  regard  to 
their  interesting  country,  was  obtained.  The  name 
of  their  vessel  was  Choajamur.  They  were  bound, 
from  a  town  called  Iko,  to  which  they  all  belonged, 
to  Jeddo,  and  had  on  board  a  cargo  of  rice,  dried 
fish,  and  intoxicating  spirits.  A  violent  gale  from 
the  west  overtaking  them,  drove  them  far  to  sea,  and, 
finally,  dismasting  the  vessel,  left  her,  a  mere  wreck, 
to  float  about  at  the  sport  of  the  waves.  Owing  to 
a  continuance  of  gales,  although  a  jury-mast  was 
rigged,  they  were  unable  to  regain  their  own  coast, 
and  they  continued  to  be  driven  farther  to  the  east 
ward.  They  were  dismasted  about  the  first  of  Jan- 


SHIPWRECKED    JAPANESE.  79 

uary,  1839,  and  drifted  about  for  five  months,  pre 
viously  to  meeting  with  the  James  Loper.  Latterly, 
their  water  failed,  and  six  days  passed  wearily  by,  in 
watching  the  heavens  for  signs  of  rain.  Their  rice, 
also,  was  expended,  and  nothing  edible  remained, 
but  the  dried,  salt  fish.  Their  sufferings  were  in 
tense.  Silver  coins  were  kept  in  their  mouths,  to 
cool  their  parched  throats.  Three  of  their  number 
died.  Of  the  remainder,  none  could  stand,  or 
scarcely  crawl  about  the  deck.  At  the  end  of  the 
sixth  day,  some  rain  fell.  The  relief  this  afforded 
their  miserable  frames,  none  but  those  who  have  ex 
perienced  the  agonies  of  thirst,  can  tell.  They  caught 
enough  to  supply  them  until  they  were  taken  from 
the  wreck. 

Some  effort  was  made  to  convert  them  to  Chris 
tianity;  but  after  any  conversation  upon  the  subject, 
they  would  usually  conclude  their  argument  by  ob 
serving:  'The  God  of  the  Americans  is  good  for 
Americans ;  and  our  gods  are  good  for  us.'  They 
had  several  books  with  them,  which  treated  of  their 
religious  rites.  Judging  from  the  plates  with  which 
they  wrere  ornamented,  a  remnant  of  the  ceremonies 
of  the  Romish  church  still  exists  among  them.  They 
acknowledged  five  principal  gods,  and  a  multitude 
of  inferior  ones.  Izero,  the  clerk,  and  an  intelligent 
man,  remarked,  that  he  had  read,  in  the  literature  of 
his  native  land,  '  that  Christians  are  very  bad  men.' 
Indeed,  his  opinion  of  them  seemed  to  be  analogous 
to  that  of  the  poor  aborigines  of  America,  after  mil 
lions  of  their  race  had  perished  by  the  fire  and  sword 
of  the  militant  missionaries  of  Spain.  He  was 


80  SHIPWRECKED    JAPANESE. 

much  astonished  to  learn  that  those  who  rescued  him 
from  the  wreck,  and  had  supported  him  ever  since, 
called  themselves  Christians.  '  It  is  impossible,'  said 
he ;  '  Christians  no  good ;  these  men,  very,  very 
good.'  Of  the  attempts  of  the  Jesuits  to  proselyte, 
in  Japan,  in  former  times,  he  was  aware.  His  ac 
count  was,  that  a  teacher  of  that  faith,  whom  he 
called  c  padere,'  came  to  reside  at  Ktusin,  Amasaka. 
He  was  at  first  poor,  but  finally,  having  made  many 
converts,  obtained  great  possessions.  The  Emperor, 
hearing  of  his  success,  became  angered,  and  ordered 
every  vestige  of  the  religion  to  be  destroyed.  The 
people  were  compelled  to  trample  upon  a  certain 
sign  they  had,  though  he  did  not  know  its  nature. 
The  priests,  however,  encouraged  the  neophytes  to 
retain  it  in  their  hearts. 

From  him  a  tariff  of  the  retail  prices  of  the  prin 
cipal  exports  and  imports  of  his  provinces  was  ob 
tained,  which,  after  much  trouble,  was  reduced  to  the 
American  standard.  It  may  prove  of  interest,  par 
ticularly  to  the  mercantile  community,  when  the 
prospects  of  trade  with  that  quarter  of  the  globe  have 
become  so  greatly  enlarged.  Samples  of  their  own 
manufactures,  they  had  mostly  with  them. 
Cottons,  blue,  brown,  striped,  &c.,  14  in. 

wide,  by  the  piece  of  five  fathoms, 

according  to  quality,  from   16   cts.  to 

56  cts. 
White  Grass  Cloth,  same  width  and  length, 

from  64  cts.  to  80  cts. 
White  Cotton,  same  width  and  length,  16 

to  48  cts. 


SHIPWRECKED    JAPANESE.  81 

Silks,  same  width  and  length,  48  to  96  cts. 
Best,  one  yard  wide,  heavy  silk,  per  5  fath 
oms,         $4  80 

Figured  Crape,  12  in.  wide,  5  fathoms,        .  80 

jDro,  an  article  made  of  silk  and  linen,  5 

fathoms, 1  12 

do.  1  yard  wide,    .....  1  76 

Velvet,  silk,  14  in.  wide,  5  fathoms,     .  1  28 

Calicoes,  5  fathoms,  48  to  64  cts. 
Raw  silk,  per  100  Ibs.,         .         .         .         .      64  00 
Foreign  Broadcloth,  imported  from  Chu- 

sin-Corea,  fine,  per  fathom,      .         .          25  60 

Coarse  do 19  48 

Blankets,  each,         .         .         .         .  32  00 

The  nation,  according  to  his  statement,  is  greatly 
addicted  to  intemperance;  business  being  done  in 
the  forenoon,  and  the  remainder  of  the  day  spent  in 
feasting  and  carousing. 

Their  system  of  numerals  is  curious  and  interest 
ing.  The  following  article,  upon  this  subject,  was 
communicated  to  me,  while  editor  of  the  Polynesian, 
by  Dr.  Baldwin,  of  Lahaina,  and,  though  somewhat 
tedious  to  the  general  reader,  as  it  has  been  suggested 
to  me  to  be  worthy  of  a  more  permanent  record  than 
the  columns  of  a  newspaper,  I  give  it  in  connection 
with  the  account  of  these  strangers. 

They  were  sent  to  Kamschatka,  by  a  merchant  of 
Honolulu,  to  the  care  of  the  Governor  of  that  prov 
ince,  who  kindly  promised  to  forward  them  to  their 
island  homes.  The  Russians  have,  in  several  in 
stances,  endeavored  to  open  an  intercourse  with 
Japan,  by  returning  her  subjects,  who  have  been  cast 


OK  SYSTEM    OF    NUMERALS. 

away ;  but,  hitherto,  have  been  repulsed.  These 
men  felt  confident  of  regaining  their  country  in 
safety,  notwithstanding  the  cruel  laws  of  the  empire  ; 
and  even  made  arrangement  for  covertly  opening  a 
trade,  should  any  one  be  disposed  to  adventure  a 
vessel  into  their  waters.  Their  fate  has  not  been 
ascertained. 

LAHAINA,  Sept.  23,  1840. 

DEAR  SIK,  —  It  is  now  a  long  time  since  I  promised  to  furnish 
you  the  Japanese  numerals  for  the  paper ;  but  an  unusual  variety 
of  engagements  of  late  have  left  me  scarce  a  leisure  hour,  at  any  time, 
for  such  work.  This  is  my  apology  for  the  delay.  I  will  now,  how 
ever,  endeavor  to  comply  with  your  request ;  or,  at  least,  to  furnish 
you  with  such  an  abstract  of  these  numerals,  as  will  enable  any 
one  to  form  a  very  good  idea  of  their  system.  To  give  you  the 
whole,  as  I  copied  them  from  the  lips  of  the  Japanese,  would  fur 
nish  more  matter  than  your  paper  would  contain  for  several  weeks. 

In  expressing  the  Japanese  names  of  their  numerals  in  our  own 
letters,  I  have  given  the  vowels  the  sounds  which  they  usually 
have  in  the  European  languages,  inasmuch  as  these  letters  have  no 
uniform  sound  in  the  English  language. 

It  will  be  seen,  by  the  least  inspection,  that  this  system  of  nu 
merals  is  as  simple  as  it  can  possibly  be  made ;  so  simple  and  easy, 
indeed,  that,  at  my  first  sitting  with  a  native  Japanese,  while  in 
deed  we  knew  only  a  few  words  of  each  other's  language,  it  occu 
pied  me  no  more  than  fifteen  minutes  to  learn  to  count  a  million. 
And  this  will  not  seem  strange  to  one  who  sees,  that,  after  using 
ten  words  to  express  the  first  ten  cardinal  numbers,  only  three  ad 
ditional  new  words  are  needed  before  we  arrive  at  a  million,  and 
even  to  many  millions.  The  first  ten  cardinal  numbers,  combined, 
express  all  the  numbers  up  to  one  hundred,  which  is  called  hiakfu. 
This  again,  combined  with  the  same  ten  carries  us  on  to  one  thous 
and  (shen).  Shen,  combined  with  hiakfu  and  the  first  ten,  reach 
again  to  ten  thousand  (mon).  Mon,  combined  again  with  the  same 
lower  numbers,  carries  us  up  to  ogf  (100,000,000).  Then  Ko.Mureoko, 
Shoajoko,  and  Muiingku  are  words  used  to  express  higher  and  still 
higher  combinations  ;  making  only  eighteen  words  in  all  (including 
the  first  ten)  to  express  a  number  so  great,  that  it  will  hardly  find 
a  name  in  the  English  scholar's  enumeration  table. 

So  far  as  I  have  observed,  the  combinations  of  these  numerals  are 
uniform,  that  is,  are  always  formed  in  the  same  manner,  till  we 
arrive  at  millions,  and  even  higher.  In  numbers  which  are  much 
larger,  there  is  some  variety  in  the  way  of  combining;  the  same 
number  being  expressed,  at  one  time,  by  the  combination  of  one  set 
of  numbers,  at  another,  by  a  different  set,  which  may  easily  be 
done;  but  always  on  precisely  the  same  principle,  which  is,  that 
the  higher  number  is  formed  from  the  lower  numbers,  simply  by 


SYSTEM    OF    NUMERALS,  83 


placing  the  lower  in  juxtaposition;  just  as  the  letters  of  an  alge 
braical  expression  are  multiplied  together.  In  this  way.  a  Japanese 
scholar  may  be  able  always  to  comprehend  the  amount  of  the  high 
est  number,  by  knowing  the  amount  of  each  component  part  of 
which  the  number  is  formed.  A  great  advantage  in  this  system  is, 
that  the  simple  numbers  are  never  changed  in  form,  when  they 
enter  into  higher  combinations. 

The  following  abstract  will  give  the  leading  numbers,  and  show 
the  method  of  using  the  whole. 

Iche,  1  ;  Ne,  2;  San,  3 ;  She,  4 ;  Go,  5 ;  Rogf,  6  ;  Shetz,  7  ;  Hoch, 
8;  Kfu,  9;  Zu,  10;  Zu  iche,  11;  that  is,  ten,  one;  Zu  ne.  12;  Zu 
san,  13;  Zu  she,  14;  Zu  go,  15;  Zu  rogf,  16;  Zu  Shetz,  17;  Zu 
hoch,  16;  Zu  kfu,  19;  Ne  zu,  20;  that  is,  two  tens  ;  Nezu  iche,  21 ; 
Nezu  ne,  22;  and  so  on  to  San  zu,  30;  or  three  tens;  Sanzu  iche, 
31.  &c.;  Shezu,  40  ;  or  four  tens  ;  Gozu.  50  ;  Rogf  zu,  60;  Shetz  zu, 
70;  Hoch  zu,  SO;  Kfuzu,  90;  Kfuzu  kfu,  99;  HIAKFU,  100.  Hiakfu 
iche,  101 ;  Hiakfu  ne,  102 ;  Hiakfu  san,  103  ;  Hiakfu  she,  104 ;  Hiakfu 
go,  105;  Hiakfu  rogf,  106;  Hiakfu  shetz,  107;  Hiakfu  hoch,  108; 
Hiakfu  kfu,  109;  Hiakfu  zu  iche,  111 ;  Hiakfu  nezu,  120;  and  so  on, 
by  the  same  process  which  is  followed  in  counting  one  hundred, 
until  we  come  to  Ne  hiakfu,  200 ;  San  hiakfu,  300 ;  She  hiakfu,  400 ; 
Go  hiakfu,  500;  Rogf  hiakfu,  600;  Shetz  hiakfu,  700;  Hoch  hiakfu, 
800 ;  Kfu  hiakfu,  900 ;  Kfu  hiakfu  kfuzu  kfu,  999 ;  SHE.N,  1000  ;  Shen 
iche,  1001 ;  Shen  ne,  1002,  Shen  san,  1003  ;  Shen  zu,  1010 ;  Shen  nezu, 
1020;  Shen  sanzu,  1030;  Shen  hiakfu,  1100;  Shen  ne  hiakfu,  1200; 
Shen  san  hiakfu,  1300 ;  and  so  on  up  to  Ne  shen,  2000 ;  Ne  shen  iche, 
2001,  &c.;  San  shen,  3000;  She  shen,  4000;  Go  shen,  Rogf  Shen, 
Shetz  shen,  Hoch  shen,  Kfu  shen,  9000;  ICJJE  MON,  10.000;  Iche 
mon  iche,  10,001,  &c.,  always  remembering,  that  a  lesser  number, 
placed  after  a  greater,  is  so  much  added  to  the  greater;  and  a  lesser 
number  placed  before  a  greater,  is  a  multiplier  of  a  greater ;  as  Ne 
mon,  20,000 ;  Ne  mon  iche,  20,001 ;  Ne  mon  ne,  20,002 ;  Ne  mon 
san,  20,003,  &c. ;  San  mon,  30,000;  She  mon,  40,000;  Go  mon,  50,- 
000,  &c,;  Zu  mon,  100,000;  Zu  iche  mon,  110,000:  Nezu  mon,  200,- 
000;  Sanzu  mon,  300,000;  Shezu  mon,  400,000;  Kfuzu  mon,  900,- 
000;  Hiakfu  mon,  1,000,000;  Ne  hiakfu  mon,  2,000,000:  San  hiakfu 
mon,  3,000,000;  Kfu  hiakfu  mon,  9,000,000;  Shen  mon,  10,000,000; 
Shen  hiakfu  mon,  11,000,000;  Shen  ne  hiakfu  mon,  12,000,000; 
Shen  kfu  hiakfu  mon,  19,000,000;  Nezu  hiakfu  mon,  20,000,000; 
(this  last  same  as  Ne  shen  mon,  i.  e.  20  X  100  X  10,000  =  2  X  1000- 
X  10, 000;)  Sanzu  hiakfu  mon,  30,000,000;  Kfuzu  hiakfu  mon,  90,- 
000,000;  ICHE  OGF,  100,000,000. 

In  continuing  this  series  of  numerals,  it  will  be  sufficient  only  to 
notice  the  principal  numbers,  as  they  rise  one  above  another,  by  a 
ratio  of  ten,  a  hundred,  or  a  thousand  ;  omitting  the  intermediate 
numbers,  inasmuch  as  they  are  always  formed  with  perfect  regu 
larity,  the  same  as  in  counting  from  one  upwards  to  an  hundred, 
thousand,  ten  thousand,  &c.,  e.  g.  Ne  ogf,  200,000,000;  San  ogf, 
300,000,000;  She  ogf,  Go  ogf,  Rogf  ogf,  &c.,  &c.,  &c. 

Zu  ogf,  1,000,000,000;  Hiakfu  ogf,  10,000,000,000;  Shen  ogf,  100,- 
000,000,000;  Zu  shen  ogf,  100,000,000,000,000;  Iche  mon  ogf,  10- 
000,000,000,000;  Hiakfu  mon  ogf,  1, 000,000, 000.000,000 ;  Kfu  hiakfu 
mon  ogf.  9,000,000,000,000,000. 


84 


SYSTEM    OF    NUMERALS. 


ICHO  or  ICHE  KO,  10,000,000,000,000,000. 

Hiakfu  ko,  1,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Iche  shen  ko,  10,000.000.000,000,000,000. 

Iche  mon  ko,  10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Iche  ogf  ko,  10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Hiakfu  ogf  ko,  1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Shen  ogf  ko,  10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Hiakfu  shen  ogf  ko,  1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

ICHE  MUREOKO,  10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Zu  mureoko,        ^ 

Hiakfu  mureoko,  >  Any  one  can  fill  out  these  numbers  for  himself. 

Shen  mureoko,     ) 

Mon  mureoko,  100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Zu  mon  mureoko, 

Hiakfu  mon  moreoko, 

Iche  ogf  mureoko,  100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Zu  ogf  mureoko, 

Hiakfu  ogf  mureoko, 

Shen  ogf  mureoko, 

Zu  shen  ogf  (or  mon  ogf)  mureoko. 

Kfu  hiakfu  shen  ogf  mureoko,  90,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 

000,000,000,000,000,000. 
ICHE  SHOAJOKO,  100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 

000,000,000. 
Zu  Shoajoko, 
Hiakfu  Shoajoko, 
Shen  shoajoko, 
Zu  shen  shoajoko, 
Hiakfu  shen  shoajoko, 
Iche  mon  shoajoko, 
Zu  mon  shoajoko, 
Hiakfu  mon  shoajoko, 
Shen  mon  shoajoko, 
Kfu  shen  mon  shoajoko,  900,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 

000,000,000.000,000,000,000,000. 
Iche  ogf  shoajoko,   1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 

000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 
Zu  ogf  shoajoko, 
Hiakfu  ogf  shoajoko, 
Kfu  hiakfu  ogf  shoajoko, 
ICHE    MUIINGKU, 

000,000,000,000,00000,000,000. 
Zu  muiingku, 
Hiakfu  muiingku, 
Shen  muiingku, 
Iche   mon   muiingku,  10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 

000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 
Zu  mon  muiingku, 
Hiakfu  mon  muiingku, 
Shen  mon  muiingku, 
Nezu  shen  mon  muiingku, 
Hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 
Ne  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 


SYSTEM    OF    NUMERALS.  85 


San  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 

She  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 

Go  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 

Rogf  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 

Shetz  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 

Hoch  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 

Kfu  hiakfu  shen  mon  muiingku, 

Iche  ogf  muiingku  (same  as  Iche  mon  shen  mon  muiingku),  100,- 
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 
000,000,000,000,000. 

Zu  ogf  muiingku, 

Sanzu  ogf  muiingku, 

Shezu  ojjf  muiingku, 

Gozu  ogf  muiingku, 

Rogfzu  ogf  muiingku, 

Shetzzu  ogf  muiingku, 

Hochzu  ogf  muiingku, 

Kfuzu  ogf  muiingku, 

Hiakfu  ogf  muiingku, 

Ne  hiakfu  ogf  muiingku, 

San  hiakfu  ogf  muiingku, 

She  hiakfu  ogf  muiingku, 

Go  hiakfu  ogf  muiingku, 

Shen  ogf  muiingku,  100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Ne  shen  ogf  muiingku. 

San  shen  ogf  muiingku, 

She  shen  ogf  muiingku, 

Go  shen  ogf  muiingku, 

Kogf  shen  ogf  muiingku, 

Shetz  shen  ogf  muiingku, 

Hoch  shen  ogf  muiingku, 

Kfu  shen  ogf  muiingku, 

Iche  ogf  ogf  muiingku  (same  as  Hiakfu  shen  ogf  muiingku),  10,- 
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 
000,000,000,000,000,000,000. 

Zu  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Hiakfu  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Shen  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Iche  mon  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Zu  mon  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Hiakfu  mon  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Shen  mon  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Zu  shen  mon  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Kiakfu  shen  mon  ogf  ogf  muiingku, 

Shen  shen  mon  ogf  ogf  muiingku,  100,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 
000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,- 
000,000,000,000,000. 

This  number  is  as  high  as  Izero,  the  Japanese  of  whom  these 
numerals  were  obtained,  was  able  to  reckon.  He  says,  however, 
that  this  is  far  from  being  the  end  of  their  enumeration-table,  and 
mentions  a  number  he  has  often  heard  from  the  priests  when  har- 
ranguing  the  people,  viz:  Zu  mon  ogf  bouts — bouts  being  a  num- 

8 


86  SYSTEM    OF    NUMERALS. 


ber  immensely  larger  than  muiingku ;  but  he  does  not  know  how 
large  a  number  bouts  signifies,  nor  does  he  know  how  many  num 
bers  intervene  between  that  and  muiingku,  nor  what  are  the  names 
of  those  numbers.  They  are  all,  however,  familiar  to  the  learned 
of  Nipon. 

One  would  suppose,  that  their  concerns  would  not  require  any 
higher  numbers  than  those  above  given,  for,  besides  having  such  a 
vast  number  as  muiingku  alone,  there  seems  to  be,  according  to 
their  system,  full  liberty  to  combine  with  that,  all  the  numbers  that 
are  lower ;  and  Hiakfu  shan  mon  ogf  ko  mureoko  shoajoko  muiing 
ku,  would,  by  their  rules,  be  such  a  number  as  we  should  express, 
in  our  figures,  by  a  1  followed  by  165  cyphers.  If  this  would  not 
be  large  enough,  the  rules  of  combination  equally  allow  us  to  say, 
Hiakfu  hiakfu  shen  shen  mon  mon  ogf  ogf  ko  ko,  &c.,  &c.,  a  num 
ber  expressed  by  us  by  a  1  followed  by  330  cyphers,  a  number  large 
enough,  perhaps,  to  express  the  distance  to  some  of  the  fixed  stars, 
in  inches. 

It  ought,  perhaps,  to  be  observed  here,  that,  while  the  above 
sketch  of  Japanese  numerals  will  show  their  system,  yet,  probably, 
the  higher  numbers  are  not  given  accurately,  according  to  that  sys 
tem.  They  were  all  obtained  from  the  mouth  of  Izero,  by  com 
mencing  with  the  lowest,  and  proceeding,  by  small  gradations,  to 
the  highest  number.  Before  we  had  finished  the  series,  it  was  per 
ceived,  that,  what  seemed  in  one  part  to  be  established  rules  for 
combining  lesser  numbers  to  make  greater,  were  violated  in  another 
part;  for  instance,  mon,  in  one  combination,  avails  1000;  in  an 
other  100,000;  and  in  a  third,  1,000,000;  while  it  would  seem  that 
it  ought  to  avail  just  10,000  in  all  places.  Wherever  this  deviation 
was  perceived,  Izero  was  questioned  thoroughly,  to  ascertain  how 
many  of  each  lower  number  made  one  of  the  next  higher.  But  he 
would  not  allow,  that  in  any  of  these  cases,  there  was  any  error. 
Probably,  however,  more  learned  Japanese  would  perceive  the 
errors.  I  think  I  have,  in  the  list  I  copied,  data  enough  to  correct 
the  numbers  which  are  wrong.  Perhaps  it  might  be  done  by  the 
abstract  here  given.  But  as  Izero  would  not  allow  that  there  was 
any  mistake,  I  have  preferred  to  set  all  down  here  according  to  his 
diction,  leaving  to  every  one,  who  may  please,  to  correct  for  him 
self. 

I  would  only  add,  in  conclusion,  that  if  any  one  has  curiosity 
enough  to  look  over  these  numerals,  he  should,  by  no  means,  begin 
in  the  middle,  but  let  him  learn  thoroughly  the  first  ten  cardinal 
numbers,  and  he  will  then  find  he  has  the  key  to  unlock  the  mys 
tery  of  the  whole.  Yours  truly, 

D.  BALDWIN. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Koloa  Packet.  —  Voyage. —  Companions.  —  Devotions  of  Hawaiian 
Crew.  —  Appearance  of  Kauai.  —  Its  Situation.  —  Harbors.  — 
Koloa  Scenery.  —  Sugar  Plantations.  — •  History  of.  —  Paper  Mon 
ey. —  Counterfeit  do.  —  Sugar-cane. —  Quality  of  Soil. —  Profits 
of  Sugar. —  Probable  Success  in  its  Culture. — Effect  of  Foreign 
Capital  and  Enterprise  upon  Natives. —  Old  System  of  Labor. 

—  Present.  —  A  Novel  Race.  —  Market  Day. —  Trading. —  Cul 
ture  of  Silk.  —  Rapidity  of  Growth  of  the  Mulberry. —  Different 
Species  of  Silk-worms. —  Cross-breeds.  —  Loss  of  Capital  invested 
in  Silk-business  at   Koloa.  —  Fatality  of  the  Trees  and  Worms, 

—  Causes.  —  A    Beautiful,    but    Secluded   Spot. —  News    from 
'Home.'  —  A  Covetous  Governess.  —  A  Singular  Excursion. — 
Mouna  Kahili.  —  A  Legend.  —  A  Predatory  Chieftain. —  Reflec 
tions  upon  his  Fate. —  Valley  of  Hanapepe.  —  Surf-swimming. — 
Remarkable  Freaks  of  Nature. —  A  Cataract. —  Great  Mortality 
at  Hanapepe.  —  A  Necessary  though  Sudden  Marriage. —  Good 
Condition  of  Roads. —  Who  keeps  them  so.  —  Town  of  Waimea. 
Capital  of  the  Island. —  Amelia,  the  Governess.  —  Mission  Houses. 

—  Residences  of  the  Rulers.  —  A  Straw  Palace.  —  A  Fine  Ca 
noe. —  Fort.  —  Niihau.  —  First  Introduction  of  Fleas. —  Soil  of 
Kauai.  —  Geological     Features.  —  Mountains.  —  Uplands    and 
Lowlands.  —  Pali.  —  Remarkable      Caves.  —  Spouting    Horn.  — 
Rivers. —  Great  Body  of  Arable  Land.  — Trades. —  Climate. — 
Storms.  —  Minerals,  &c. 

HONOLULU  is  a  pleasant  place,  but  it  is  not  the  only 
spot  worth  visiting.  During  the  summer  months, 
when  the  weather  becomes  a  few  degrees  warmer, 
and  clouds  of  dust  and  strong  winds,  sweeping  and 
careering  over  the  town,  create  a  desire  for  a  change 
to  the  luxuriant  fields  and  cooler  breezes  of  Kauai, 
which  lies  somewhat  nearer  a  colder  clime,  numbers 


88  KOLOA    PACKET. 

leave  the  dusty  seaport  for  that  island.  Oahu  has 
hitherto  borne  the  character  of  being  the  garden  of 
the  group,  but  let  the  reader  follow  me  in  my  wan 
derings  over  Kauai,  and  I  think  that  he  will  agree  with 
me  in  asserting  that  to  that  island  more  properly 
belongs  the  distinction.  In  voyaging  from  island  to 
island,  there  is  but  little  choice  in  the  means  of  con 
veyance  ;  a  canoe,  or  a  miniature  vessel  of  a  few 
tons  burden,  and  but  little  better,  being  the  common 
resort,  unless,  luckily,  a  stray  whaler  in  passing 
should  give  the  happy  vagrant  a  4lift.?  Necessity, 
or  the  strongest  curiosity  alone,  tempts  any  one  to  trust 
himself  to  the  craft,  which  usually  does  the  honors 
of  that  passage.  She  is  a  frail  thing,  yclept  the 
Pilot,  manufactured  in  the  forests  of  Tahiti,  and  one 
day,  after  buffeting  the  tropical  waves  for  two  months, 
found  herself  in  the  harbor  of  Honolulu.  In  any 
other  port,  she  would  have  astonished  the  inhabi 
tants  almost  as  much  as  the  barks  of  Columbus  did 
the  simple  natives  of  Guanahini.  But  Honoluluians 
are  accustomed  to  Sinbad  feats  of  sailorship.  The 
virtues  of  the  Pilot  being  so  well  tested,  she  was  for 
mally  installed  as  a  regular  '  liner,'  under  the  com 
mand  of  the  experienced  Captain  Spunyarn.  As 
no  opposition  existed,  a  most  exorbitant  price  was 
charged  for  the  satisfaction  of  making  a  fellow-being 
as  completely  miserable  for  a  day  or  week  as  might 
be,  as  foul  air,  vermin,  and  sea-sickness  could  render 
him.  No  discredit  to  the  worthy  captain,  however, 
for  he  was  a  clever  fellow,  having  under  his  orders  a 
mate  and  cook.  For  several  years  had  he  com 
manded  this  stout  schooner,  and  he  knew  every 


VOYAGE.  89 

wave  by  sight,  and  every  change  of  wind  and  varia 
tion  of  current  by  instinct.  If  any  one  doubts  his 
seamanship,  let  him  go  no  farther ;  as  for  his  face,  it 
was  the  very  picture  of  inward  satisfaction.  He 
could  not  have  been  happier  or  prouder  had  he 
commanded  a  dashing  frigate,  To  be  sure,  he  had 
capsized  her  once  in  a  squall,  but  being  near  land 
she  was  towed  ashore  and  righted.  And  as  for 
drowning  a  Polynesian,  you  might  as  well  try  to 
drown  a  flying-fish.  On  another  occasion,  a  whale 
rising  alongside  created  a  surge  that  well-nigh  en 
gulfed  her ;  but  still  she  survived,  and  still  continued 
to  sail  crowded  with  passengers,  each  one  on  leaving 
her  most  devoutly  praying,  that  that  might  be  the  last 
time  their  feet  should  cross  her  gangway.  Visions 
of  stately  ships,  swift  steam-boats,  and  every  other 
variety  of  decent  conveyance  flitted  through  my 
mind,  as,  after  having  screwed  up  my  courage  to  the 
embarking  point,  (although  the  while  I  felt  it  an  un 
dertaking  to  be  compared  to  nothing  but  crossing 
the  bridge  of  a  single  hair  which  leads  to  the  Mus 
sulman's  paradise,)  I  wended  my  way  towards  the 
wharf  where  the  Pilot  was  tied  up.  Her  sails  were 
hoisted;  without  further  ado,  I  jumped  aboard,  and 
bidding  a  reluctant  farewell  to  Honolulu,  soon  found 
myself  out  of  the  harbor,  and  running  before  a  brisk 
trade  along  the  leeward  side  of  Oahu.  Now,  as  no 
traveller  visits  Hawaii  nei,  without  encountering  sor 
rows  like  mine,  I  shall  give  the  reader,  who  may 
have  designed  a  similar  excursion,  a  glance  at  what 
he  will  have  to  encounter,  by  way  of  encourage 
ment.  Let  him  not  imagine  because  he  has  crossed 
8* 


90  COMPANIONS. 

the  Atlantic,  or  doubled  Cape  Horn,  and  cheated  old 
father  Neptune  of  his  tribute,  that  he  will  defraud 
him  now.  O,  no  !  Down  upon  your  back  upon  the 
deck,  as  straight  as  four  feet  by  one  will  allow,  with 
the  privilege  of  shifting  your  quarters  every  few 
hours  to  go  about.  Hapless  victim,  the  penalty  is 
upon  you. 

Talk  about  the  horrors  of  the  'mid  passage.' 
No  slave,  pent  in  his  vile  hole,  ever  settled  more 
unwilling  account  with  his  brineship  than  I  did 
in  the  'mid  channel.'  Just  picture  the  comfort 
to  be  enjoyed  in  a  little-decked  vessel,  a  sort  of  am 
phibious  craft,  not  so  large  as  a  frigate's  launch, 
whirled  and  tossed  in  the  froth  of  the  ocean  like  a 
mere  feather,  now  under  water,  now  out  again,  shak 
ing  the  spray  from  itself,  much  like  an  old  water-dog. 
The  few  feet  of  deck  is  shared  with  some  dozens  of 
natives,  the  near  contact  of  whom  allows  you  only 
room  to  curl  up  as  square  as  possible  in.  No  aboli 
tionist  can  have  less  antipathy  to  the  various  colored 
cuticles  that  cover  our  race,  than  I  have,  but  when 
my  next  neighbor's  shins  are  in  close  contact 
with  my  cranium,  and  that  neighbor  is  a  swarthy, 
naked  Hawaiian,  with  a  skin  well  furrowed  with 
a  disease,  a  remedy  for  which  quacks  have  been 
exerting  their  advertising  powers  ever  since  the 
days  of  Noe,  I  confess  some  little  sensitiveness. 
But  in  the  effort  to  avoid  Scylla  I  fell  upon  Chary b- 
dis,  in  the  shape  of  one  of  the  fairer  sex,  whose  attire 
is  just  sufficient  to  convince  even  the  most  sea-sick, 
that  woman  unadorned  is  not  always  adorned  the 
most.  Her  hair,  ah !  that 's  just  the  thing  I  am  en- 


VOYAGE.  91 

deavoring  to  avoid,  for  living  reasons  which  none 
can  gainsay  —  so  not  another  word  on  this  topic.  A 
few  stout  hogs,  the  pot  companions  of  their  masters, 
completed  our  mess.  Let  no  one  turn  up  his  nose 
at  even  a  swinish  fellow  voyager.  A  friend  of  mine 
and  his  family  had  the  misfortune  to  be  out  ten  days 
in  the  least  of  all  these  cockle  boats,  in  making  the 
passage  from  one  island  to  another.  Towards  the 
last  of  the  time  it  began  to  be  a  serious  affair,  and 
hunger  stared  them  in  the  face.  To  such  an  extrem 
ity  were  they  driven,  that  they  held  a  consultation  as 
to  what  they  should  have  to  eat.  The  result  was, 
that  one  of  their  number,  in  order  to  save  the  lives 

of  the  remainder,  was  doomed  to  cut  the  throat 

of  a  porker,  whose  layers  of  fat,  the  result  of  many 
years  high  feeding,  supplied  them  with  fuel  to  cook 
the  lean  withal  —  a  Jack  Sprat  process  which  would 
have  shocked  Epicurus,  if  he  had  not  been  as  hun 
gry  as  my  worthy  friend. 

The  wind  not  proving  fair,  our  voyage  was  pro 
longed,  with  all  the  usual  disagreeableness  incidental 
to  such  trips.  At  times  the  breeze  would  die  away 
entirely,  and  leave  the  vessel  pitching,  and  rocking, 
and  twisting  about  in  the  vexed  waves,  much  like  a 
spoiled  child  who  attempts  to  show  his  sense  of  in 
jured  dignity,  by  throwing  his  puny  form  upon  the 
floor,  and  sprawls  legs  and  arms  into  the  air,  while 
he  distorts  his  body  into  a  thousand  inexpressible 
shapes,  extremely  consoling  to  himself,  but  not  par 
ticularly  edifying  to  any  one  else.  Equally  vain 
would  it  be  to  make  such  an  urchin  stand  without 
his  will,  as  it  was  for  us  to  stand  with  the  best  of 


92  VOYAGE. 

wills.  The  frequent  and  rising  sensations  in  the 
epigastric  region  seem  to  have  some  sympathetic 
connection  with  Hogarth's  line  of  beauty  ;  for  all  my 
motions,  at  least,  were  in  a  curvilinear  direction,  until 
having  enlightened  the  scaly  dwellers  of  the  deep  to 
the  utmost  of  my  abilities,  as  to  the  nature  of  my 
diet  for  the  previous  week,  I  curled  myself  up  into 
the  smallest  compass  possible ;  and,  under  the  protec 
tion  of  a  mat,  bid  defiance  to  the  scorching  sun,  and 
the  rain-squalls  that  occasionally  discharged  their 
humid  contents  upon  us.  Reader,  were  you  ever  in 
such  a  situation  —  did  your  nose  ever  acquire  an 
extra  '  turn  up  '  as  the  reeking  odors  of  poi  in  all  its 
sweet  savor  struck  upon  your  nostrils  ?  Have  you 
never  envied  the  graceful  nonchalance  with  which  a 
grinning  Hawaiian  slips  the  sticky  food  down  his 
throat,  smacking  his  lips  in  the  extent  of  his  satisfac 
tion,  and  with  a  benevolent  smile,  offering  to  share 
his  mess  with  your  forlorn  self?  Did  not  the  poi 
smell  particularly  sour  just  then,  and  did  you  not 
imagine  that  the  calabash  contained  more  than  its 
usual  quantum  of  dirt,  even  to  make  it  agreeable  to 
an  Hawaiian  stomach  ;  and  then  has  not  the  manner 
with  which  a  young  porker,  or  snub-nosed  little  pup 
py  intruded  its  snout  into  the  owner's  face,  with  a 
glance  so  particularly  expressive  of  '  give  me  some,' 
struck  you  as  singularly  pastoral  and  affectionate  ? 
When  you  have  awaked  from  your  sea-sick  trance, 
with  a  keen  sense  of  a  vacuity  not  far  from  the 
region  of  the  internal  man,  vulgarly  yclept  the  stom 
ach,  and  looked  with  greedy  eyes  into  your  basket, 
which,  when  you  came  aboard  had  been  well  stored 


DEVOTIONS    OF    HAWAIIAN    CREW.  93 

with  luxuries,  which  now  you  could  weep  even  to 
think  over,  and  found  — -  nothing,  have  you  not  been 
satisfied  that  kanakas  are  fond  of  something  else 
besides  '  poi  ?  '  Have  not  your  ears  dwelt  in  listen 
ing  wonder  upon  the  mystic  sounds  of  '  bumegai,' 
as  they  are  shouted  ever  and  anon  by  the  skipper, 
and  echoed  from  stem  to  stern.  If  you  have  never 
experienced  all  this,  why  you  can,  any  day,  by  pay 
ing  five  dollars  for  the  privilege  of  the  softest  plank 
you  can  select  upon  the  deck  of  the  good  packet 
Pilot,  Spunyarn  master. 

But,  seriously,  I  know  of  few  situations  where  a 
man  feels  more  dependent  upon  the  care  of  Him, 
who  ruleth  the  storm,  and  can  bid  the  wrathful  waves 
— '  peace,  be  still,'  than  in  one  of  the  small  and  ill 
provided  craft  that  ply  about  these  islands,  with  ig 
norant,  careless  crews,  dozing  over  their  pipes,  and, 
as  is  frequently  the  case,  with  no  land  in  sight,  and 
nothing  but  the  stars,  or  an  imperfect  compass,  to 
guide  them.  Blow  as  it  may,  their  puny  vessels  are 
ever  to  be  found  buffeting  the  waves ;  their  crews, 
regardless  of  time  spent,  and  the  Captain  careful  only 
for  his  expected  gains,  pushing  boldly  out  to  sea,  and 
trusting,  one  would  think,  in  Turkish  fatality,  rather 
than  in  skill  or  weather.  Yet  they  generally  arrive 
in  safety  at  their  destined  ports.  Like  the  Osmanlis, 
the  Captains  are  regular  and  consistent  in  their  devo 
tions,  and  whatever  may  be  the  condition  of  the 
vessel,  at  sunrise  or  sunset  the  crew  are  assembled 
aft,  while  he  lifts  his  voice  in  thanksgiving  for  mer 
cies  past,  and  prays  for  protection  to  come.  On 
such  occasions,  in  tones  of  humility  and  sincerity, 


94  APPEARANCE    OF     KAUAI. 

while  all  around  were  awed  into  silence,  here  I  heard 
the  throne  of  heaven  addressed  by  a  simple,  untu 
tored  islander.  Not  only  were  guidance  and  protec 
tion  implored  for  themselves  and  their  king,  but  Eng 
land,  France,  the  United  States,  and  not  to  omit  even 
those  nations  of  whom  they  knew  not,  '  all  the  world ' 
were  remembered  in  these  orisons.  Callous  must  be 
the  heart  that  can  witness  these  half-converted  heath 
en,  thus  addressing  the  one  true  Jehovah,  and  not 
feel  the  spirit  of  prayer  warm  within  him.  From 
whatever  motive  it  may  arise,  it  is  at  once  a  grateful 
and  impressive  custom. 

After  setting  foot  again  upon  terra  firma,  one  feels 
much  as  if  he  stood  as  good  a  chance  of  living  out 
his  days,  as  other  men,  provided  he  tempt  not  Provi 
dence  again  by  a  similar  venture,  and  shakes  himself 
well  to  discover  whether  he  takes  ashore  all  the  limbs 
he  carried  aboard.  A  day  or  two  suffices  for  them 
to  recover  their  vertical  position,  and  it  is  their  own 
er's  fault,  if  the  cool  breezes  and  verdant  landscapes 
of  Kauai  do  not  make  the  voyager  in  a  short  time 
forget  all  his  past  troubles,  and  enter  upon  all  the  new 
scenes  with  a  freshness  of  spirit  and  keenness  of 
relish,  enhanced  by  the  difficulties  experienced  in 
reaching  them. 

Both  Oahu  and  Kauai  present  rather  a  dun  ap 
pearance,  as  they  are  approached  from  the  sea;  but, 
on  nearer  inspection,  the  loftier  peaks,  broader  plains, 
and  more  picturesque  valleys,  of  Kauai,  assume  a 
more  verdant  aspect.  Kauai,  having  been  far  less 
visited  by  travellers  than  the  other  islands  of  the 
group,  is  the  least  known ;  yet,  in  charming  variety 


ITS    SITUATION. HARBORS.  95 

of  scenery,  and  general  goodness  of  soil,  it  stands 
unrivalled.  Its  northernmost  point  lies  in  twenty- 
two  degrees,  seventeen  minutes,  north  latitude;  its 
southern,  in  twenty-one  degrees,  fifty-six  minutes. 
It  lies  between  one  hundred  and  fifty-nine  degrees, 
forty-one  minutes,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  de 
grees,  eight  minutes,  west  longitude,  and  embraces 
an  area  of  about  five  hundred  square  miles,  and  is 
seventy-five  miles  distant  from  Oahu.  It  is  nearly 
circular  in  shape,  affording  no  good  harbors,  though 
there  are  a  few  spots,  inside  of  the  reefs  which  line 
the  eastern  shore,  where  the  smallest  class  of  vessels 
can  anchor  in  safety,  but  find  it  very  difficult  to  get 
out,  should  the  trade-winds  blow  freshly.  The  prin 
cipal  roadsteads  are  at  Waimea,  and  Koloa  on  the 
south  side,  and  Hanalei  on  the  north.  Waimea  has 
always  been  the  principal  resort  for  vessels,  since  the 
discovery  of  the  island ;  and  it  was  here,  that  all  the 
early  navigators  anchored,  it  being  then,  as  now,  the 
capital  of  the  island.  But  more  of  this  place,  anon. 
The  direct  communication  between  Oahu  and  Kauai 
is  kept  up,  from  Koloa,  on  the  southeastern  point,  by 
means  of  small  vessels,  that  ply  to  and  fro,  making 
the  passage  down  in  from  one  to  two  days,  and  the 
trip  b$ck,  being  against  the  trades,  in  from  four  to 
seven  days.  It  is  an  open  roadstead ;  but  ships  can 
lie  in  safety,  through  most  of  the  year,  and  take  in 
cargoes.  The  landing  is  at  a  rough  stone  pier,  built 
at  the  mouth  of  a  small  stream,  and  just  inside  of  a 
projecting  point  of  reef. 

Koloa  rises  gradually  from  the  sea,  until  it  attains 
a  height  of  a  few  hundred  feet,  when  it  meets  with 


96     KOLOA  SCENERY. SUGAR  PLANTATIONS. 

a  range  of  high  hills,  which  separate  it  from  an  ex 
tensive  plain  on  the  north.  These  hills  have  a  grad 
ual  rise,  on  the  south  side ;  but,  on  the  opposite  side, 
they  sweep  up  from  the  plain,  in  a  precipitous  curve, 
steep  and  cragged,  presenting,  at  their  summits,  the 
appearance  of  a  huge  wave,  suddenly  consolidated, 
just  as  it  was  about  to  topple  over,  and  break  upon 
the  shore.  Koloa  presents  a  variety  of  landscape, 
that  is  seldom  to  be  met  with.  Mountains  and  hills, 
plains  and  valleys,  cottage  and  hamlet,  are  sprinkled 
in  careless  order ;  yet,  from  whatever  point  they  are 
viewed,  they  present  a  charming  coup  d'oeil.  Here 
are  to  be  seen  the  chief  agricultural  enterprises  of  the 
islands ;  and  at  no  other  point  are  the  good  effects  of 
foreign  capital,  united  with  native  industry,  more  per 
ceptible  than  this.  A  few  years  since,  Koloa  was  a 
mere  hamlet,  seldom  visited  by  even  a  missionary. 
After  it  became  a  mission  station,  its  fertility,  and  the 
great  size  which  sugar-cane  attains,  from  which  it 
derives  its  name,  (ko,  cane  —  loa,  great,)  attracted  the 
attention  of  some  capitalists  from  Oahu,  who,  hav 
ing  obtained  a  grant  of  land  from  government,  de 
termined  to  make  the  experiment  of  raising  sugar. 
In  1836,  for  three  hundred  dollars  per  annum,  they 
secured,  for  fifty  years,  an  extensive  tract  of  the  best 
portion  of  Koloa.  The  jealousy  of  the  petty  chiefs, 
in  seeing  their  lands  thus  alienated,  proved,  for  some 
time,  a  great  obstacle  to  their  success.  They  carried 
their  opposition  so  far,  as  to  forbid  all  sale  of  pro 
visions,  from  their  people  to  the  agent,  who  repaired 
here  to  commence  operations ;  and  he  was  wellnigh 
starved  into  a  retreat.  [This  surmounted,  a  greater 


PAPER    MONEY. COUNTERFEITED.  97 

obstacle  lay  in  overcoming  the  repugnance  of  the  na 
tives  to  regular  and  protracted  labor,  and  their  utter 
ignorance  of  tools.  At  one  time,  in  lieu  of  cattle,  he 
was  obliged  to  employ  forty  natives,  to  drag  a  plough. 
Gradually,  by  a  lavish  expenditure  of  capital,  all 
difficulties  were  overcome,  and  the  lands  made  to 
yield  good  crops  of  sugar-cane. 

IFrom  the  want  of  a  sufficient  quantity  of  small 
change,  to  keep  a  large  number  of  laborers  em 
ployed,  a  card  currency  was  introduced,  which 
formed  the  first  issue  of  paper  money  in  Polynesia. 
It  was  redeemable,  in  goods,  at  the  stores  only  of  the 
proprietors  of  the  plantations.  If  any  one  doubts 
the  capacity  of  the  victims  of  this  paper  currency, 
for  the  most  extended  civilization,  the  following  fact 
is  quite  sufficient  to  remove  it.  It  had  not  long  been 
in  circulation,  before  some  sharp-witted  fellows 
among  them  made  a  counterfeit,  so  strikingly  like 
the  original,  imitating  the  signatures  with  scrupulous 
exactness,  that  it  was  some  time  before  the  fraud  was 
detected.  But,  savage-like,  they  seemed  to  take 
more  pleasure  in  the  deception,  than  in  any  gain  ac 
cruing  from  it;  for,  to  make  a  Ttapawalu^  (twelve  and 
a  half  cents,)  it  would  take  them  much  longer,  than 
to  have  earned  it  by  labor  in  the  fields.  The  several 
pieces  varied,  in  value,  from  a  hapaumi,  six  and  a 
quarter  cents,  to  one  dollar.  One  real  (twelve  and  a 
half  cents)  per  day,  is  the  nominal  price  of  labor,  in 
the  agricultural  districts;  but,  at  that  price,  it  has 
been  found  impossible  to  compete  with  the  cheaper 
labor  of  the  East  Indies,  and  the  Philippine  Islands. 
As  is  common  in  all  experiments,  much  money  has 
9 


98  SUGAR-CANE. QUALITY    OF    SOIL. 

been  fruitlessly  expended,  at  Koloa.  The  price  of 
sugar,  on  the  plantations,  has  fallen,  from  five  to  two 
cents  per  pound ;  a  rate,  which  can  aiford  no  profit 
to  foreigners,  who  engage  in  it,  but  one  which  pays 
the  Hawaiian  agriculturalist,  on  his  petty  farm,  a  bet 
ter  price  than  some  other  articles.  The  buildings, 
erected  at  Koloa,  for  boiling  houses,  &c.,  are  good ; 
but,  for  other  purposes,  they  are  mostly  of  thatch,  and 
will  last  but  a  few  years.  The  water-power  is  am 
ple,  and  turns  a  powerful  iron-mill,  erected  two  years 
ago,  at  an  expense  of  ten  thousand  dollars.  It  serves 
to  grind  all  the  cane  raised  in  the  district.  From 
four  to  six  hundred  acres  are  under  cultivation,  a 
large  proportion  of  which  is  planted  by  the  natives. 
The  sugar  manufactured  is  inferior  only  to  the  better 
samples  of  the  Havana  and  Louisiana.  The  clayed 
sugars,  of  which  but  little  has  been  made,  are  poor ; 
but  the  quality  has  been  annually  improving.  No 
better  molasses  is  produced  anywhere.  It  is  worth 
twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  gallon,  at  the  mill. 

The  cane,  to  be  in  perfection,  should  be  so  planted, 
that  it  will  remain  from  twelve  to  sixteen  months 
upon  the  ground.  In  autumn,  when  it  is  all  in  blos 
som,  the  fields  present  a  most  beautiful  appearance; 
the  long,  golden-colored  stalks,  lifting  up  their  heads 
far  above  the  regularly-planted  rows,  their  silvery 
tassels,  floating  gayly  in  the  wind,  or  drooping  grace 
fully  from  their  half-burst  sheaths,  seem  like  a  bril 
liant  array  of  soldiery,  with  their  lances  glistening  in 
the  bright  sunlight,  and  pennons  spread  to  the  breeze. 

The  virgin  soil  commonly  produces  fifteen  hun 
dred  pounds  to  the  acre,  being  fifty  per  cent,  more 


PROBABLE    SUCCESS    IN    SUGAR    CULTURE.  99 

than  the  average  in  Louisiana.  In  one  instance,  five 
thousand  pounds  were  taken  from  one  acre,  which 
had  been  previously  cultivated,  and  the  land  mellow 
and  rich ;  two  thousand  pounds  per  acre  have  been 
frequently  taken  off;  but  it  is  supposed,  that  the  soil, 
when  properly  taken  care  of,  will  settle  down  to  the 
first-mentioned  amount.  The  varieties  of  the  cane 
are,  the  red,  white,  and  striped,  of  which  the  last  is 
considered  the  best,  as  it  does  not  lose  much  juice  in 
remaining  on  the  ground  after  it  is  ripe. 

By  many,  it  is  doubted,  whether  the  production  of 
sugar  can  be  made  a  profitable  business,  at  this 
group.  Unless  labor  becomes  cheaper,  and  laborers 
more  abundant,  it  will  not  greatly  increase.  The 
Hawaiians  are  annually  finding  more  lucrative  and 
agreeable  sources  of  support,  than  the  severe  labor 
of  hoeing  and  planting  cane.  Markets,  also,  are  dis 
tant  and  uncertain;  the  nearest  being  New  Holland 
and  Chili,  both  of  which  countries  can  be  better  sup 
plied  from  Manila  and  Peru.  The  Oregon  Terri 
tory,  when  it  becomes  settled,  will  prove  the  best; 
and  the  shipping,  particularly  the  whalers,  take  off  a 
large  amount  for  stores. 

But  these  islands  possess  some  advantages  over 
other  countries,  where  it  is  an  important  staple.  The 
soil  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  its  growth.  In  the  East 
Indies  labor  is  cheaper ;  but  in  the  West  Indies  and 
Louisiana  it  is  much  higher,  as  can  readily  be  shown 
by  comparing  the  expenditures  of  two  plantations. 
Slave  labor  is  very  much  dearer  than  free  labor ;  the 
interest  of  the  money  alone,  which  a  slave  costs, 
being  sufficient  to  hire  a  workman  here,  without  the 


100  FOREIGN    CAPITAL    AND    ENTERPRISE. 

additional  expense  of  family,  risk  of  death,  etc.  In 
addition  to  this,  is  an  expensive  steam-engine,  with 
a  salaried  engineer,  attorney,  and  physician,  which 
are  all  necessary  on  an  extensive  slave  plantation, 
but  not  required  for  one  conducted  in  the  usual 
manner  at  these  islands.  Freedom  from  taxation  is 
also  an  important  item.  The  soil  has,  heretofore, 
yielded  as  well  as  that  of  other  countries ;  in  many 
instances,  better.  In  no  part  of  the  world,  can  work 
men  be  fed  and  housed,  cheaper  than  here  ;  a 
thatched  dwelling,  sufficient  for  a  family,  costing 
only  five  dollars.  The  expense  of  ploughing  and 
planting  the  cane,  per  acre,  is,  as  I  was  informed,  by 
one  who  has  had  much  experience  in  this  matter,  not 
over  five  dollars.  But  the  business  has  not,  as  yet, 
been  prosecuted  to  an  extent  sufficient  to  warrant 
any  extensive  comparison;  but,  so  far  as  a  judg 
ment  can  be  formed,  the  chances  of  its  ultimate  suc 
cess  are  as  great,  here,  as  in  most  other  sugar  coun 
tries. 

Koloa  is  now  a  flourishing  village.  A  number  of 
neat  cottages,  prettily  situated  amid  shrubbery,  have 
sprung  up,  within  two  years  past.  The  population 
of  the  place,  also,  has  been  constantly  increasing,  by 
emigration  from  other  parts  of  the  island.  It  num 
bers,  now,  about  two  thousand  people,  including 
many  foreigners,  among  whom  are  stationed  a  mis 
sionary  preacher,  and  physician,  with  their  families. 

The  good  effects,  resulting  from  the  agricultural 
enterprises,  are  not  confined  exclusively  to  mere  pe 
cuniary  returns.  They  have  had  a  high  and  noble 
influence  upon  the  natives ;  one  that  has  operated,  to 


OLD  AND  PRESENT  SYSTEMS  OF  LABOR.    101 

a  great  extent,  in  bringing  about  the  present  favora 
ble  change  in  behalf  of  the  people.  They  have 
proved  a  death-blow  to  that  species  of  domestic 
slavery,  which  has  so  long  been  preying  upon  their 
best  energies  and  interests.  The  Kauaiians  were,  of 
all  others,  the  most  oppressed  by  their  chiefs,  being 
despised  and  contemned,  as  a  conquered  race.  Their 
degradation  was  beyond  account;  and  when  the 
plantations  were  first  established  among  them,  their 
stupidity  and  vicious  habits  threatened  to  prove  in 
superable  obstacles  to  their  success.  The  spirit  of 
commerce,  once  awakened,  produced  most  favorable 
changes  in  their  character;  and  when  they  found 
that  their  time  and  labor  was  worth  something  more 
to  them  than  hard  words  and  little  food,  they  were 
not  slow  in  letting  their  rulers  know  it.  The  result 
has  been,  that  they  have,  ever  since,  enjoyed  more 
personal  freedom,  and  their  condition  has  been  grad 
ually  improving.  Even  the  King,  who  cultivates 
the  soil  largely  here,  satisfied  that  free  labor  is  the 
most  profitable,  has,  of  late,  abolished  the  working 
days,  and  pays  his  workmen,  who  labor  under  the 
superintendence  of  a  white  man,  regular  wages. 

Under  the  old  system,  the  natives  were  called"  out 
early  in  the  morning,  and  kept  at  work  until  three 
o'clock,  P.  M.,  when  they  were  dismissed.  The 
amount  of  work,  which  several  hundred  men  would 
perform,  driven  like  cattle  to  the  field,  with  but  a 
few  to  overlook  them,  can  easily  be  imagined.  To 
them  it  was  generally  a  day  of  noise  and  fun ;  the 
one  who  could  shirk  the  most  was  the  best  fellow ; 
and  the  hearty  peals  of  laughter,  which  would  fol- 


102  WORKMEN. 

low  the  effusion  of  some  wag  of  the  company,  would 
delay  the  work,  far  more  than  all  the  blows  or  threats 
of  the  overseers  could  speed  it.  After  a  year's  trial, 
the  superintendent  finding,  that,  if  he  were  obliged 
to  depend  upon  the  system  of  compulsory  labor  for 
the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-cane,  it  would  soon  run 
out,  His  Majesty  authorized  a  change;  and  his  lands 
are  now  cultivated  in  the  same  manner  as  those  of 
the  whites. 

It  has  been  the  custom  of  the  proprietors  of  the 
plantations  here,  to  bargain  with  the  government  for 
the  services  of  a  certain  number  of  families,  for 
whom  they  pay  all  taxes,  and  who,  in  return,  are 
called  upon  for  no  other  work  than  what  is  essential 
to  their  business  as  day-laborers.  It  is  altogether 
voluntary  on  the  part  of  the  families  whether  they 
will  go  or  not,  but  the  inducement  of  regular  wages, 
good  houses,  and  plenty  of  food,  when  compared 
with  their  usual  mode  of  living,  is  one  that  few 
resist. 

The  surveillance  of  a  gang  of  these  workmen  is, 
however,  no  sinecure.  Some  are  honest  fellows, 
and  work  with  a  will,  but  with  many  the  object  is 
to  work  as  little,  and  play  as  much,  as  they  can.  It 
is  really  amusing  to  a  disinterested  individual,  to 
watch  the  shifts  that  they  will  make  to  deceive  their 
employers ;  and,  as  to  cornering  them  in  a  story,  it  is 
impossible.  You  may  chase  them  from  one  lie  to 
another,  but  you  cannot  catch  them.  If  the  over 
seer  leave  for  a  moment,  down  they  squat,  out  come 
the  pipes,  and  the  longest-winded  fellow  commences 
upon  a  yarn,  a  sort  of  improvisation,  that  keeps  the 


A    NOVEL    RACE.  103 

others  upon  the  broad  grin.  Their  humor  is  inde 
scribable,  and,  to  ears  polite,  rather  vulgar.  Nothing 
escapes  their  attention ;  they  will  mimic  the  haole^ 
(foreigner,)  and  then  as  soon  as  he  comes  in  sight, 
seize  their  spades,  and  commence  laboring  with  an 
assiduity  that  baffles  description,  and  perhaps  all 
the  while  not  strain  a  muscle.  With  them  a  joke 
is  a  joke ;  they  love  it  as  well  at  their  own  expense, 
as  at  another's ;  but  let  him  look  out  who  gets  the 
whole  laugh  turned  upon  himself.  They  are  per 
fect  adepts  in  blackguardism,  and  would  stand  pro 
fessors  to  the  denizens  of  St.  Giles's  themselves.  J  In 
many  points  they  are  like  the  genuine  man-of-war's 
men  —  they  laugh  and  sing  while  they  have  enough 
to  eat,  careless  of  the  morrow ;  spending  all.  they 
raise  upon  their  friends.  Thus,  many  a  fellow 
earns  from  forty  to  fifty  dollars  per  annum,  and  yet 
cannot  boast  a  shirt  to  his  back ;  his  friends  and 
relatives  having  cozened  all  his  wages  from  him. 
When  the  plantations  were  first  started,  an  attempt 
was  made  to  keep  the  workmen  clothed,  but  it 
proved  futile.  A  Hawaiian  will  work  in  the 
suit  that  nature  gave  him,  which  being  of  dirt  color, 
is,  perhaps,  after  all,  the  best  adapted  for  that  pur 
pose,  and  does  not  wear  out  in  washing.  As  to 
clothes,  they  are  only  for  special  occasions,  kept  for 
Sundays,  or  to  lend.  I  have  known  a  cast-off  pair 
of  pants  serve  the  turn  of  half  a  dozen  families. 
Some  years  since,  when  calico  was  a  more  valuable 
article  than  at  present,  I  saw  two  young  damsels 
who  had  become  the  fortunate  possessors  of  a  frock 
each,  and  were  displaying  their  rare  acquirements  with 


104  MARKET    DAY. TRADING. 

much  self-complacency  to  their  envious  and  less 
fortunate  sisters,  when  a  shower  came  up.  Off 
went  the  garments,  which  w^ere  rolled  up  and  put 
under  the  arms,  and  off  started  the  fair  ones  in  all 
their  pristine  beauty,  on  a  race  for  shelter. 

Saturday  is  the  general  market  and  shopping  day, 
and  the  time  allotted  by  the  chiefs,  to  the  natives,  to 
prepare  their  food  for  the  ensuing  week.  At  sunrise 
the  little  shops  on  the  plantations  are  opened,  to 
redeem  the  paper  money,  and  purchase  such  articles 
as  the  natives  bring  for  sale.  Crowds  of  them  in 
the  rudest  attire,  or  in  no  attire  at  all,  early  throng 
the  house.  One  brings  vegetables,  another  fish,  fine 
tapas,  mats,  curiosities,  in  short,  any  thing  and  every 
thing  which  they  suppose  the  haole,  (foreigner,)  to 
want.  Women  leading  fat  pigs,  which  ever  and 
anon  they  take  in  their  arms,  and  press  to  their 
bosoms,  to  still  their  deafening  and  prolonged 
lamentations,  or  to  give  the  last  fond  embrace,  join 
the  throng;  while  dog  and  fowl  add  their  voices  to 
the  dulcet  strain.  Then  commences  the  barter :  — 
knives,  needles,  flints,  calicoes,  and  all  the  numerous 
etcetera  of  a  trading  establishment  are  spread  in 
tempting  array  before  their  wistful  eyes,  and  a  scene 
of  cheapening,  undervaluing,  and  petty  deception 
ensues,  which  would  do  credit  to  a  Seminarian  belle, 
or  require  the  pencil  of  a  Cruikshank  to  depict. 

The  rigidity  of  the  facial  muscle,  which  so  pecu 
liarly  characterizes  an  American  trader,  rendering 
the  features  stiff  and  uninviting,  forcibly  contrasts 
with  the  varied  expression,  the  shrug  of  the  shoulder, 
and  gesture  of  the  limb,  which  so  strongly  imply 


CULTURE    OF    SILK.  105 

what  words  are  weak  in  conveying,  and  which  no 
Hawaiian  fails  to  use  in  the  greatest  profusion, 
accompanied  with  certain  suspicious  grunts,  (which 
I  strongly  suspect  are  imitated  from  their  favorite 
pets  and  mess  companions,)  in  conversing  upon  any 
subject  in  the  least  exciting.  In  fact,  more  meaning 
is  conveyed  in  a  look,  wink  of  the  eye,  or  twitch  of 
a  muscle,  as  their  manner  of  trading  bears  ample 
testimony,  than  volumes  of  the  king's  English  can 
express.  Of  all  the  arts  of  civilized  life,  that  of 
close  trading  is  the  first  acquired  by  savages,  because 
it  is  the  first  taught. 

Considerable  interest  has  been  felt  among  those 
who  are  interested  in  the  prosperity  of  these  islands, 
in  the  experiment  which  was  made  at  Koloa,  on  an 
extensive  scale,  in  the  raising  of  raw  silk,  as  one, 
which,  if  successful,  would  not  only  afford  a  valu 
able  export,  but  prove  an  important  branch  of 
domestic  industry,  giving  suitable  and  profitable 
employment  to  women  and  children.  Some  years 
since,  several  gentlemen,  attracted  by  the  even  tem 
perature  of  the  climate,  and  the  rapidity  and  vigor 
with  which  the  mulberry  plants  grew,  conceived  the 
idea  of  establishing  a  silk  plantation.  Further 
experiments  having  confirmed  their  design,  a  spot 
of  land  embracing  about  three  hundred  acres,  was 
selected  and  leased  for  that  purpose.  It  is  most 
delightfully  situated,  about  three  miles  from  the 
beach,  on  gently  undulating  ground,  bounded  on 
the  southern  and  western  sides  by  a  fine  brook, 
affording  valuable  mill  privileges,  and  on  the  oppo 
site,  by  an  abrupt  range  of  well-wooded  hills, 


106  CULTURE    OF    SILK. 

attaining  an  elevation  of  two  thousand  feet.  The 
prospect  from  these  is  lovely  in  the  extreme ;  the 
eye  glances  down  upon  several  plantations  situated 
at  their  feet,  with  rich,  waving  fields  of  sugar-cane 
or  mulberry  trees,  planted  in  squares,  and  intersected 
at  regular  distances  with  broad  avenues,  bordered 
by  banana  plants  or  ornamental  trees.  Prettily  em 
bosomed  amid  shrubbery  or  neat  gardens,  like  birds' 
nests  cradled  amid  bright  flowers  and  green  leaves, 
are  the  cottages  of  the  superintendents;  and  near  by 
the  thatched  houses  of  the  laborers,  disposed  in  reg 
ular  rows,  fronting  the  roads.  Farther  off,  the  white 
walls  of  a  large  church  shine  conspicuously  in  the 
bright  sun,  a  striking  contrast  to  the  dingy  sides  and 
distillery-like  look  of  the  boiling-house  and  sugar- 
mill.  Around  these  the  natives  have  clustered  their 
rude  hamlets,  and  little  patches  of  cultivated  ground  j 
the  whole  affording  a  gratifying  picture  of  incipient 
civilization.  The  busy  passing  to  and  fro  of  long 
lines  of  carts  loaded  with  the  sweets  of  the  soil,  and 
the  swarms  of  laborers  wielding  their  hoes  amid  the 
fields,  animate  the  scene.  The  hoary  crest  of  an 
old  crater  rises  abruptly  from  the  plain  near  the 
sea,  amid  a  field  of  indurated  lava,  a  monument  of 
nature's  wrath  in  former  days.  A  rugged  and  tower 
ing  peak,  conspicuous  above  all  its  brethren,  afford 
ing  an  excellent  landmark,  shoots  up  in  solitary 
grandeur  to  the  east,  while  not  far  from  its  base,  the 
ocean  dashes  on  the  shore  in  a  long  line  of  breakers. 
The  beauty  of  this  scene,  even  as  it  tempts  the  eye 
to  dwell  in  unceasing  admiration  upon  its  fair  fea 
tures,  keeps  the  pen  still  employed  in  tracing  its 


CULTURE    OF    SILK.  107 

outline,  fearful  lest  a  single  spot  of  all  that  rich 
mixture  of  grand  and  beautiful,  civilized  and  savage, 
should  escape  its  notice. 

But  to  the  silk  plantation  again.  After  the  land 
was  secured,  a  large  portion  of  it  was  immediately 
planted  with  the  native  or  black  mulberry,  which 
bears  but  a  small  leaf,  and  was  the  only  variety  on 
the  islands,  (excepting  the  morus  papyfera,  and  a 
few  of  the  morus  alba,)  at  that  time.  It  flourished 
beautifully,  and  bore  a  great  quantity  of  leaves. 
One,  taken  from  the  field  at  random,  of  eight  months' 
growth,  afforded  three  and  a  half  pounds  of  leaves,  and 
in  six  weeks  after  it  was  wholly  stripped,  it  leaved 
out  again,  so  as  not  to  be  distinguished  from  the 
rest.  So  much  were  the  proprietors  encouraged  thus 
far,  that  they  imported  another  variety  of  the  mulber 
ry  from  China,  known  as  the  Canton,  which  thrived 
well,  and  afforded  much  more  food  in  proportion  to 
its  size,  some  of  the  leaves  measuring  eight  and  ten 
inches  broad,  by  twelve  inches  long.  They  were  all 
planted  in  hedge-rows,  from  six  to  ten  feet  apart, 
and  two  feet  apart  in  the  rows,  and  were  allowed  to 
attain  a  height  of  from  six  to  eight  feet.  The  ground 
was  kept  entirely  free  from  weeds.  The  Chinese 
worm  was  also  imported  at  this  time,  but  fed  only 
in  sufficient  quantities  to  preserve  a  sufficient  num 
ber  of  eggs  for  stock.  One  of  the  proprietors  em 
barked  for  the  United  States,  where  he  spent  eight 
months  in  acquiring  information  in  regard  to  the 
business,  purchasing  machinery  for  reeling,  which 
was  intended  to  be  done  by  steam,  and  in  securing 
the  best  varieties  of  trees  and  eggs,  with  a  family  of 


108  CULTURE    OF    SILK. 

three  persons  to  superintend  cocooneries,  and  to  teach 
the  natives  to  reel.     So  highly  was  this  enterprise 
thought  of  then  (1838)  in  the  United  States,  that  the 
proprietors  could  have  realized  an   advance  of  two 
hundred  per  cent,  on  their  investment  thus  far.     Even 
the  most  skeptical,  in  regard  to  the  business  there, 
could  see  no  obstacle  to  its  success  in  a  climate 
where  the  trees  gave  heavy  crops  the  year  round,  and 
the  temperature  was  such  as  to  require  but  little  arti 
ficial  protection  for  the  worms.     Labor  and  build 
ings  were  also  exceedingly  cheap,  it  being  found  that 
common  thatched  buildings,  such  as  could  be  erect 
ed  at  the  expense  of  a  few  dollars  each,  would  serve 
both  to  feed  and  reel  in,  thus  obviating  the  heavy 
expenses  required  for  cocooneries  and  reeling-houses 
in  less  favorable  climates.     The  agent  arrived  from 
the  United  States  in  the  spring  of  1839,  and  found 
the  plantation  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  well 
stocked  with  trees.     He  brought  with  him  the  best 
varieties   of    the    American   worms,    including   the 
mammoth  white,  and  yellow,  and  the  pea-nut,  also  a 
fine  lot  of  the  morus  multicaulis.     These  were  plant 
ed  immediately,  throve  well,  and  were  so  highly  es 
teemed,  that  cuttings  of  but  two  buds  each,  were 
sold  to  others  about  engaging  in  the  same  enterprise, 
for  from  one  to  two  dollars  the  slip.     The  leaf  grew 
beautifully,  thick  and  heavy,  and  to  a  great  length, 
sometimes  measuring  fourteen  inches.     Its  only  ad 
vantage,  by  way  of  food,  appeared  to  be  its  size  and 
rapidity  of  growth.     The  worms  fed  with  equal  avid 
ity  upon  all  the  other  varieties.     It  was  then  con 
cluded  to  let  the  black  mulberry  run  out,  and  to  plant 


CULTURE    OF    SILK.  109 

the  latter  in  its  place.  After  the  first  year  it  was  dis 
covered,  that  if  the  mulberry  was  allowed  to  grow 
beyond  a  certain  size  it  withered,  and  became  value 
less  as  food.  This  was  remedied  by  cutting  it  down 
yearly,  (the  month  of  January,  when  vegetation  had 
mostly  ceased  growing,  being  the  best  time.)  Young 
and  vigorous  shoots  then  shot  up,  in  two  or  three 
months,  suitable  for  food.  A  sufficient  quantity  of 
trees  being  now  planted  and  doing  well,  it  was  deter 
mined  to  commence  feeding  the  worms  in  numbers. 
The  Canton,  white  and  yellow  varieties,  were  first 
tried,  but  they  formed  but  small  cocoons,  of  exceed 
ingly  fine  fibre,  which  made  a  beautiful  silk,  but  a 
large  proportion  of  it  was  wasted  in  floss  ;  so  much 
so,  that  it  required  many  thousands  more  to  form  a 
pound  of  silk,  than  the  American  variety,  and  it  was 
found  impossible  to  make  them  profitable.  The 
American  eggs  were  then  exposed.  No  one  had 
doubted  but  they  would  hatch  with  the  greatest 
readiness  ;  though  in  good  order,  they  hatched  but  a 
few  at  a  time,  from  four  or  five  to  as  many  hundred 
a  day,  and  none  on  some  days.  It  was  thought  that 
the  eggs  from  these  would  become  acclimated,  and 
this  irregularity  cease  ;  but  it  proved  worse  than  be 
fore.  Some  of  the  eggs  hatched  in  ten  days  from 
the  time  they  were  laid,  while  others  would  not  in 
as  many  months.  Every  experiment,  by  way  of  ar 
tificial  heat,  freezing,  wearing  them  next  to  the  per 
son,  and  other  methods  were  tried,  but  all  in  vain. 
It  was  discovered  that  they  needed  a  winter,  and 
many  were  packed  up  in  bottles,  and  sent  upon  the 
neighboring  mountains  to  remain  several  months. 
10 


110  CULTURE    OF    SILK. 

Their  height  being  but  four  or  five  thousand  feet,  did 
not  produce  the  requisite  temperature,  and  from  their 
being  imperfectly  packed,  most  of  them  decayed. 
Those  that  hatched  formed  beautiful  fine  cocoons, 
with  but  little  floss,  averaging  about  four  thousand 
to  the  pound  of  raw  silk.  The  experiment  was  now 
tried,  of  crossing  the  American  breed  with  the 
Chinese,  and  with  the  greatest  success.  Two  va 
rieties  of  cocoons  were  produced,  inclining  more  to 
the  American  than  the  Chinese,  one  of  a  deep 
orange  color,  the  other  of  a  delicate  straw  color. 
These  answered  admirably,  requiring  from  five  to 
seven  thousand  to  the  pound  of  raw  silk.  They 
reeled  with  the  greatest  ease,  so  much  so  that  na 
tive  women,  with  but  few  days'  instruction,  could 
turn  oif  from  one  half  to  three  fourths  of  a  pound 
daily.  Their  eggs  hatched  again  in  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  days,  and  came  to  maturity  in  twenty-four, 
and  continued  to  do  so  for  upwards  of  a  year, 
without  degenerating  in  quality.  It  was  attempted 
to  cross  this  breed  again  with  the  pure  American, 
but  the  worms  resulting  therefrom  were  found  to 
have  so  many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  American, 
as  to  be  of  little  use. 

It  was  now  thought,  (the  spring  of  1840,)  that 
every  difficulty  was  overcome,  and  a  profitable  busi 
ness  would  soon  make  amends  for  previous  delays 
and  losses.  But  the  proprietors,  after  expending  most 
of  their  funds  in  thus  getting  under  way,  were  doom 
ed  to  disappointment.  A  drought  set  in,  such  as 
had  not  been  known  before  since  the  missionaries 
first  resided  upon  the  islands,  twenty  years  since.  The 


CULTURE    OF    SILK.  Ill 

trees  which  had  been  so  flourishing  withered  under 
its  influence,  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  species  of 
aphides,  or  wood  louse,  much  like  the  chiton  shell  in 
appearance,  attached  itself  to  them,  speedily  cover 
ing  every  limb  and  leaf  upon  them.  What  juices 
were  left  by  the  drought  were  soon  exhausted  by 
those  parasites,  and  the  trees  became  lifeless  and 
leafless.  The  crops  of  worms  which  had  commenc 
ed  feeding,  by  hundreds  of  thousands,  were  obliged 
to  be  thrown  away,  and  thus  a  season's  labor  was 
lost,  while  a  heavy  expense  was  incurred.  In  addi 
tion  to  this,  a  species  of  spider,  of  a  plump,  many- 
colored  body,  of  the  size  of  a  chestnut,  added  their 
ravages  to  the  other  destroyers,  by  attaching  them 
selves,  by  millions,  to  the  young  trees,  by  means  of 
a  firm,  hard  web,  through  which  it  was  quite  diffi 
cult  to  make  one's  way.  How  far  these  latter  are 
the  result  of  the  drought,  it  is  impossible  to  say,  but 
it  is  not  at  all  improbable,  if  a  favorable  season 
should  set  in,  that  they  will  be  destroyed.  The 
strong  trade-winds  also  did  damage,  by  whipping 
the  leaves,  and,  daring  the  winter  season,  when  a 
'kona,'  or  southerly  gale  blew,  the  fields,  and  vege 
tation  generally,  were  as  much  affected  as  if  they 
had  been  touched  with  frost.  Leaves,  flowers,  and 
blossoms  wilted  and  fell  from  their  parent  stalks, 
crusted,  apparently,  with  a  coating  of  salt.  How 
ever,  these  casualties,  which  affected  mulberry  trees 
to  so  disastrous  an  extent,  extended  their  ravages  to 
most  other  plants,  and  though  the  lice  or  spiders  did 
not  affect  the  sugar-cane,  yet  the  drought  diminish 
ed  the  crop  at  least  one  half. 


112  A    BEAUTIFUL    SECLUSION. 

In  1841,  the  proprietors,  unable  to  bear  any  fur 
ther  expenses  in  prosecuting  a  business  against  so 
many  obstacles,  relinquished  the  undertaking.  The 
land  has  since  been  planted  with  sugar-cane. 

Of  the  many  beautiful  and  healthy  spots  which 
God  has  provided  on  the  face  of  the  earth  for  the 
residence  of  his  creatures,  perhaps  few,  if  any,  excel 
some  situations  in  Kauai.  If  seclusion  from  society 
be  the  misanthrope's  heaven,  a  paradise  would  await 
him  here.  Nature  is  all  smiles  and  loveliness.  The 
breeze  bears  health  and  vigor  on  its  wings.  No 
keen,  racking  wind  penetrates  to  the  bones,  or 
sweltering  heat  enervates  the  system.  The  air  is 
genial  and  balmy.  The  fields  are  verdant,  and 
though  St.  Patrick  never  visited  its  pastures,  no 
noxious  vermin  inhabit  them.  But  to  the  generality 
of  men,  no  charms  of  the  natural  kingdom  will  com 
pensate  for  the  want  of  companionship.  Society 
has  ties  and  claims  stronger  even  than  sympathising 
Nature,  though  she  proclaims,  in  a  thousand  elo 
quent  tones,  the  goodness  and  all-mightiness  of 
her  Creator.  If  any  one  doubts  the  strength  of  the 
heart-yearnings  for  old  homes,  and  news  from  a  far 
country,  let  him  make,  as  I  have  made,  such  a  place 
as  Koloa  his  home,  for  nine  long  weary  months. 

The  weekly  packet  that  bears  all  despatches  to 
this  place,  is  looked  for  with  an  eagerness  that  few 
but  those  who  have  experienced  the  pang  of  mingled 
hope  and  disappointment  can  realize.  Perhaps  a 
rumor  of  an  arrival  at  Honolulu,  from  the  United 
States  —  with  letters,  bundles,  and  many  a  kind  token 
of  love  and  remembrance,  from  absent  dear  ones, 


NEWS    FROM    HOME.  113 

has  reached  here.  Twenty  thousand  long  miles 
have  they  come,  and  months,  may  be  years,  have 
intervened,  since  the  last  were  received.  Expecta 
tion  is  on  tiptoe.  Sharp  eyes  are  turned  to  the  wind 
ward —  days  slip  by,  and  still  they  are  not  weary 
with  watching.  The  mind  seeks  relief  for  hope 
deferred  in  supposing  that  some  accident  has  changed 
the  common  course  of  nature  ;  the  vessel,  as  if  it  had 
a  will  of  its  own,  won't  come;  or  some,  less  charitable, 
imagine  that  a  malicious  pleasure  on  the  part  of  those 
in  charge  aggravates  the  case.  Conjectures  are  mul 
tiplied.  At  last,  Sail,  ho !  is  shouted  —  former  feel 
ings  subside  as  speedily  as  they  were  raised  —  on 
comes  the  tiny  craft,  more  like  a  sea-bird  than  a  work 
of  man  —  impatient  of  its  contents,  its  swelling  can 
vass  filled  by  a  favorable  gale.  Horses  are  mounted, 
and  the  excited  expectants  ride  en  masse  to  the 
beach.  How  long  the  minutes  are  —  how  slowly 
they  work !  the  boat  is  at  last  lowered,  and  Captain 
Spankerboom  steps  ashore  with  all  the  importance 
of  an  ambassador  extraordinary)  and  delivers  the 
packet.  Now  a  revulsion  of  feeling  takes  place. 
Expectation  is  succeeded  by  possession  ;  possession 
arouses  reflection,  and  reflection  gives  place  to  hope 
and  fears.  A  mother,  father,  sister,  brother,  wife, 
child,  to  be  heard  from;  are  they  well?  Death, 
disease,  and  misfortune,  have  preyed  upon  others  in 
the  mean  while ;  why  should  they  have  been  ex 
empted  ?  Has  business  prospered,  or  will  this  crush 
all  those  dear-earned  hopes.  Each  palpitating  heart 
confines  its  queries  to  its  own  recesses,  and  trem 
bling  fingers  slowly  unseal  the  dreaded  yet  welcome 
10* 


114  NEWS    FROM    HOME. 

intelligence.  A  long-drawn  breath,  and  in  silence 
each  devours  the  precious  contents  ~—  and  here  I 
leave  them ;  this  is  a  common  experience  to  exiles, 
and  all  can  appreciate  its  truth.  After  a  storm  comes 
sunshine,  and  after  letters  come  boxes ;  off  fly  the 
covers,  and  the  contents  are  tumbled  out  with  an 
eagerness  of  curiosity,  that  untold  treasures  could 
not  have  drawn  forth.  The  box  is  from  home — -the 
contents  from  earth's  dearest  relations.  Each  article, 
though  thousands  similar  lie  unnoticed  on  the  shelves 
of  many  a  shop,  is  praised,  criticised,  and  praised 
again,  and  a  blessing  breathed  for  the  bestower. 
That  one  word,  home,  the  centre  of  all  that  consti 
tutes  happiness  in  our  mother-land,  is  the  spell  that 
thus  melts  the  spirit,  and  revives  long  dormant  affec 
tions.  Thus  it  is  here.  Joy  is  dearly  bought  and 
dearly  prized.  Apart  from  the  world,  though  in  a 
paradise  of  natural  beauty,  the  foreign  inhabitants 
form  a  community  sui  generis.  A  Protocol  of  the 
allied  powers  of  Europe  brings  no  fears  to  them  ; 
whether  Metternich  regulates  his  vineyards,  or  rules 
empires,  it  matters  not.  The  Grand  Porte  may 
perish  despite  his  sublimity,  and  the  Celestial  Poten 
tate  get  knocked  on  the  pate  by  an  English  marine  ; 
still,  grass  will  grow,  water  will  run,  and  none  the 
less  sugar  be  made  in  Koloa.  Its  denizens  will  retire 
to  rest  at  eight  o'clock,  P.  M.,  and  rise  before  the 
sun.  Not  but  what  there  are  exciting  topics  here, 
for  there  are  enough  of  them.  The  whole  wisdom 
of  the  place  is  called  upon  to  devise  measures  for 
repairing  a  bridge,  or  counteracting  a  sudden  strike 
for  higher  wages,  on  the  part  of  the  tawny  laborers. 


A    SINGULAR    EXCURSION.  115 

If  any  man  wants  occupation,  and  plenty  of  it,  let 
him  undertake  the  surveillance  of  a  dozen  Kauaians 
—  old  Hays  himself  would  be  mystified.  The  kan 
akas  cheat  and  abuse  their  employers,  and  their  rulers 
do  their  best  to  cheat  both  white  and  copper  skins. 
The  old  lady  who  now  holds  the  reins  of  govern 
ment  keeps  a  shrewd  eye  to  the  personal  profits. 
According  to  custom,  when  His  Majesty  was  to  visit 
this  island,  new  houses  must  be  erected  for  him  and 
his  suite.  Amelia  selected  a  site,  very  convenient 
to  her  own  lands,  but  by  no  means  so  for  the  pur 
pose  of  the  King.  His  men  were  obliged  to  build 
them;  after  the  arrival,  they,  as  Amelia  doubtless 
anticipated,  did  not  suit  him,  and  he  slept  elsewhere. 
As  soon  as  he  was  gone,  the  wUy  governess  appro 
priated  them  to  her  own  use,  and  thus  secured  two 
good  houses  at  no  expense  to  herself. 

A  few  miles  to  the  west  of  Koloa  is  a  mountain, 
called  by  the  natives  Kahili,  or  *  fly  -brush;'  why 
this  name  I  know  not,  as  the  most  imaginative  fancy 
could  not  detect  a  resemblance  in  any  particular 
between  the  two.  In  fact,  it  differs  so  little  from  its 
neighbors,  that  it  would  attract  but  a  partial  glance, 
or  be  noted  only  as  an  interesting  feature  in  the 
general  landscape.  Then  why  all  these  words  about 
it,  one  will  be  inclined  to  ask.  I  will  tell.  Simply 
because  it  was  my  fortune  one  day  to  ascend  it,  in 
company  with  some  friends :  and  being  much  grati 
fied  with  the  excursion,  I  wish  to  take  the  reader  up 
with  me,  as  well  as  pen  and  ink  will  allow. 

There  are  others  not  far  distant,  that  are  higher 
and  larger,  and  even  more  picturesque ;  and  many 


116  A    SINGULAR    EXCURSION. 

more  grand  in  their  outline ;  but  as  my  legs  did  not 
carry  me  to  their  summits,  I  shall  not  venture  to  say 
much  about  them,  particularly  as  it  would  be  in 
fringing  upon  a  right  which  some  tourists  seem  to- 
have  appropriated  to  themselves  — -  that  of  describing 
things  they  have  not  seen,  —  though  it  cannot  be 
said  of  them  any  more  than  of  myself,  that  they 
leave  unwritten  what  they  have  seen.  But  the  horses 
are  now  saddled ;  mount  and  follow.  The  morn 
ing  is  fine,  and  our  steeds  gallop  well ;  the  plain  is 
rich  in  verdure,  and  after  a  few  gulches  are  crossed, 
we  shall  be  there.  These  gulches  are  an  abomina 
tion  to  man  and  beast ;  their  beds  are  very  apt  to  be 
laid  in  a  soft,  adhesive  mud,  overgrown  with  a 
treacherous  carpet  of  heavy  grass,  into  which  the 
inexperienced  traveller  plunges,  and  is  somewhat 
surprised  to  find  his  horse  disappearing  rapidly  from 
under  him,  flouncing  and  thrashing  like  a  struck 
whale,  and  covering  both  with  a  coating  of  greasy 
earth,  which,  if  they  were  destined  to  become  taro 
patches,  would  be  well  enough — but  is  apt  to  make 
one  sigh  over  the  beauty  of  his  ci  devant  milk-white 
inexpressibles.  Frequently  it  is  no  small  labor  to 
extricate  the  horse  from  these  quagmires;  but  after 
a  few  experiences  of  this  nature,  it  is  quite  as  diffi 
cult  to  get  the  wary  animal  into  one.  Once  I  saw 
one,  in  his  efforts  to  avoid  a  suspicious  place,  throw 
off  his  rider,  and  get  thrown  himself  down  a  steep 
bank,  turning  a  half  somerset  in  his  course,  until  he 
landed  on  his  feet  in  a  brook  at  the  base  of  the  hill. 
However,  if  it  were  not  for  these  incidents,  and  some 
others  of  an  equally  agreeable  nature,  of  which  more 
anon,  travelling  would  not  be  worth  a  fig  on  Kauai. 


MO  UN  A    KAHILI.  117 

Mouna  Kakili,  which  we  shortly  reached,  we 
ascended  on  foot,  following  up  the  back-bone  of  the 
spur  which  leads  to  the  very  summit.  As  it  was 
steep  and  slippery,  owing  to  the  smooth  grass,  our 
progress  at  first  was  slow,  and  our  knees  soon  began 
to  tremble,  and  no  doubt,  as  far  as  they  were  concern 
ed,  wished  they  had  not  come.  Ascending  higher,  the 
mountain  gradually  becomes  more  densely  wooded, 
and  the  spur  narrower,  until  its  breadth  is  scarcely 
two  feet,  presenting  a  sharp  ridge,  bordered  on  either 
side  by  precipices  of  several  hundred  to  some  thou 
sand  feet  in  depth.  These  precipices  are  overgrown 
with  vegetation,  sparse  towards  the  top,  where  the 
banks  are  too  steep  for  soil  to  accumulate,  but  grad 
ually  growing  denser  until  it  reaches  the  bottom, 
where  they  terminate  in  dells  crowded  with  groves  of 
dark-leaved  hail,  the  silvery-leaved  kukui,  and  the 
stately  ohia^  with  its  beautiful  red  flowers,  contrast 
ing  finely  to  the  various  shades  of  surrounding  green. 
So  thick  is  the  foliage  in  these  sylvan  retreats,  that 
a  tropical  sun  cannot  penetrate  their  recesses.  The 
feathered  tribes  fully  appreciate  their  grateful  shades, 
and  in  the  heat  of  the  day  resort  thither  to  practice 
their  sweet  tunes,  and  to  retort  the  mocking  notes  of 
the  surrounding  echoes.  Were  it  not  for  the  brush 
wood,  with  which  the  ridge  is  covered,  the  ascent 
would  be  at  this  point  somewhat  dangerous,  as  few 
eyes  could  gaze  steadily  down  the  dark  glens  on 
either  side;  but  the  foliage  of  the  trees  partially 
breaks  the  view,  and  their  limbs  afford  a  sufficient 
support.  When  near  the  summit,  vegetation  be 
comes  dense  in  the  extreme,  consisting  of  tangled 


118  MOUNA    KAHILI. 

masses  of  shrubs,  and  small  trees,  so  thickly  inter 
locked  as  to  form  a  complete  net  work  ;  a  chevaux 
de  fris,  through  which  it  requires  great  caution  and 
labor  to  work  one's  way.  Overhead,  the  leaves 
form  an  impenetrable  barrier  to  the  sun,  while  be 
neath,  the  trunks,  limbs,  and  vines,  form  an  equal 
one  for  the  earth.  In  fact,  one  here  makes  his  way 
by  crawling,  jumping,  and  swinging  from  branch  to 
branch,  for  many  hundred  feet,  without  once  touch 
ing  his  feet  to  the  soil,  or,  for  part  of  the  way,  even 
seeing  a  trace  of  it.  As  this  part  of  the  mountain 
is  nine  tenths  of  the  year  buried  in  clouds  and  rain, 
the  dampness  is  great,  and  the  mosses  which  encircle 
every  limb,  like  the  shaggy  coat  of  the  Greenland 
bear,  are  saturated  with  water.  The  young  tree  is 
here  to  be  seen  in  all  its  vigor,  maintaining  an  une 
qual  contest  with  a  legion  of  parasitical  vines,  and 
numerous  families  of  ferns,  which  like  leeches  are 
exhausting  its  life-blood.  Though  yielding  inch  by 
inch  to  its  foes,  it  still  sends  out  fresh  shoots,  which 
seek  an  unguarded  opening  through  the  drapery  of 
vines,  to  reach  the  outer  air.  These  trees  may  be 
compared  to  a  profligate  roue,  whose  graceful  and 
athletic  figure  is  fast  being  destroyed  by  the  vices 
which  it  has  nourished,  while  the  old  and  decayed 
trunks  which  every  where  lay  about  them,  strangled 
by  hugh  vines,  and  rotting  in  the  dampness,  portray 
in  bold  relief  the  fate  which  awaits  those  that  strug 
gle  on  to  old  age.  While  my  mind  was  indulg 
ing  in  fancies  sad  or  humersome,  my  body  was 
equally  alive  to  surrounding  objects;  for  the  path 
had  now  become  so  intricate  and  narrow,  that  the 


A    LEGEND.  119 

vision  could  reach  but  a  few  feet  distant  on  any  side, 
and  those  in  the  rear  got  many  a  thump  by  following 
too  close  to  the  heels  of  those  in  advance.  The 
moss  which  encircled  the  branches,  proved  a  treach 
erous  guide  to  their  size,  and  many  a  foot  or  fist 
hold  was  lost  by  the  seemingly  stout  limb,  as  the 
mass  was  grasped,  degenerating  into  a  little  twig, 
which  broke  upon  touching,  and  precipitated  the 
careless  climber  backwards  into  beds  of  their  slimy 
and  chilly  covering,  which  discharged  their  oozy 
contents  upon  us  at  every  step.  After  groping  our 
way  in  this  fashion  for  an  hour  or  more,  we  reached 
the  summit.  It  consisted  of  a  small  plot  of  earth 
about  a  rod  square,  bare  in  the  centre,  but  overgrown 
with  stout  trees  upon  its  sides.  Upon  it  were  sev 
eral  large  timbers,  of  a  foot  in  diameter,  standing  per 
pendicular,  and  about  twelve  feet  high,  with  notches 
for  foot-hold  cut  in  them.  These,  as  runs  the  legend, 
have  stood  from  time  immemorial,  that  is  to  say, 
some  half  century  or  more,  and  are  the  remains  of 
a  fortification  which  a  chief  erected,  who  lived  on 
bad  terms  with  his  less  elevated  neighbors.  As  the 
approaches  to  its  site  are  a  succession  of  narrow 
ridges,  a  few  warriors  were  able  to  set  a  host  of 
enemies  at  defiance,  and  make  the  place  impregna 
ble.  During  the  night  his  followers  sallied  down 
and  levied  black  mail,  in  the  shape  of  pigs,  fowls, 
taro,  and  potatoes,  for  their  lord's  table.  What  was 
his  end,  the  legion  tells  not ;  but  if  his  enemies  did 
not  eventually  take  him  off,  an  influenza  must,  for 
no  mortal  could  have  lived  there  long,  not  even  if 
possessed  of  a  hide  such  as  Nebuchadnezzar  boasted, 


ISO  A    LEGEND. 

when  he  chewed  the  cud  of  sweet  and  bitter  reflec 
tion,  and  of  clover,  in  the  fields  with  the  brutes 
whose  understandings  were  just  double  his.  Gre 
cian  mythology  would  have  turned  the  whole  posse 
of  them  into  moss-clad  trees,  while  the  whistling 
winds  would  be  but  echoes  of  their  groans,  and  the 
never-ending  showers,  the  tears  of  their  victims, 
in  which  they  were  doomed  to  lay  soaked  until 
some  greater  scoundrels  could  be  found  to  take  their 
place.  However,  as  I  am  neither  poet  nor  Greek, 
they  must  await  some  more  illustrious  visitor  to  im 
mortalize  their  manes.  If  their  wan  spirits  still 
wander  about  the  scenes  of  their  fleshly  iniquities, 
my  best  wish  is,  that  they  are  bountifully  supplied 
with  water-proof  garments,  for  it  is  a  damp  place 
for  the  living. 

The  view  from  thence  is  extensive.  It  embraces 
a  large  portion  of  the  island,  which  lay  spread  out 
beneath  us  like  a  map.  A  dense  fog  soon  set  in, 
and  cut  short  all  our  extasies,  and  shrouded  all 
around  and  beneath  us  as  completely  from  our  view, 
as  if  we  had  been  taken  to  another  planet,  or 
another  flood  had  arisen,  and  left  us  sole  denizens 
of  this.  An  ocean  of  vapor  lay  at  our  feet,  rapidly 
rising  higher,  and  the  little  spot  we  stood  on  was 
our  world ;  one  peak  only  of  another  mountain, 
many  miles  distant,  remained  above  the  clouds,  a 
companion  to  us  in  our  cheerless  solitude.  It  was 
a  time  for  many  beautiful  thoughts  and  fine  com 
parisons,  but  the  dampness  was  exceedingly  disa 
greeable,  and  altogether  too  chilly  for  loafers  at  that 
atmospherical  elevation ;  our  bowels  also  yearned 


VALLEY    OF    HANAPEPE.  121 

strongly  for  the  dinner  we  had  left  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  ;  so,  after  resolving  that  as  it  was  our  first 
view  it  likewise  should  be  our  last,  we  beat  a  retreat. 
The  fog  was  thick,  and  our  stomachs  were  empty  — 
swinging  ourselves  from  branch  to  branch,  we  soon 
found  ourselves  on  a  level  with  our  dinner,  which 
was  devoured  with  a  celerity  which  must  have  been 
astounding  to  any  whose  appetites  had  not  been 
sharpened  by  a  similar  excursion  to  the  land  of  fogs. 
Half  way  between  Koloa  and  Waimea  is  the 
Valley  of  Hanapepe,  which  affords  some  of  the  most 
remarkable  views  there  are  to  be  found  upon  the 
island.  After  passing  the  battle-plain  of  Wahi- 
awa,  a  fertile  tract  of  country,  partially  overgrown 
with  wild  sugar-cane,  the  visitor  comes  suddenly 
upon  the  brink  of  this  valley,  which  on  both  sides 
present  steep  and  precipitous  banks,  of  many  hun 
dred  to  some  thousand  feet  in  height,  and  accessible 
only  at  a  few  points.  As  they  approach  the  sea,  the 
valley  widens,  and  they  decrease  in  height,  exhibit 
ing  perpendicular  masses  of  red  columns  of  cavern 
ous  lava.  A  fine  stream  runs  through  the  valley, 
on  either  side  of  which  are  situated  the  little  planta 
tions,  and  numerous  patches  of  kalo,  which  afford 
sustenance  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  quiet  retreat. 
Their  principal  hamlet  is  clustered  under  the  shade 
of  the  cocoa-nut  trees  at  its  mouth.  The  natives  of 
all  the  islands  seem  very  generally  to  prefer  the  hot 
and  barren  sea-side,  to  the  cooler  and  more  verdant 
situations  farther  up  the  valley.  This  is  probably  for 
the  sake  of  the  fisheries,  and  the  sport  of  sea-bathing, 
to  which  they  are  passionately  addicted ;  and  a 
11 


122  SURF-SWIMMING. 

pretty  sight  it  is,  to  see  the  youth  of  both  sexes  on 
their  surf-boards,  sporting  as  freely  amid  the  heavy 
rollers,  as  if  they  knew  no  other  element.  At  one 
time  pushing  their  boards  before  them  as  they  ad 
vance  seaward,  diving  beneath  each  curling  wave, 
until  they  have  reached  the  outer  extremity  of  the 
breakers,  then  throwing  themselves  flat  upon  their 
support,  like  a  boy  upon  his  snow-sled,  they  dart 
inshore  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  upon  the 
crest  of  the  waves,  merrily  shouting  all  the  while, 
dashing  and  splashing  along,  till  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  rocks,  on  which,  your  breath  half  held  from 
fear,  you  have  been  momentarily  expecting  them  to 
strike,  to  the  risk  of  life  or  limb  ;  but  which,  by  a 
dexterous  movement  of  their  limbs,  they  avoid,  and 
pull  out  to  sea  again,  or  throw  themselves  from  their 
board,  which  is  thrown  up  by  the  spent  wave,  almost 
at  your  feet.  Formerly,  old  and  young  engaged  in 
this  sport,  but  now  it  is  a  rare  sight. 

Hanapepe  valley,  like  most  of  the  others,  extends 
inland  until  it  reaches  near  to  the  centre  of  the  island. 
As  it  recedes  from  the  sea-side,  the  mountains  be 
come  higher  and  more  precipitous,  varying  their 
form  and  appearance  at  almost  every  turn  :  at  times 
presenting  darkened  and  narrow  gorges,  through 
which  the  river  rushes  with  great  violence  ;  then 
expanding  into  vales  of  moderate  width,  afford  ing 
sufficient  room  for  a  few  houses,  with  the  cultivated 
plats  about  them.  At  the  head  of  the  valley  the 
scenery  is  sublime  in  the  extreme.  The  rush  and 
flow  of  boiling  lava  while  dame  Nature  was  engaged 
in  piling  up  the  mountains  which  form  the  back- 


REMARKABLE  FREAKS  OF  NATURE.       123 

ground  must  have  been  terrible.  Some  appear 
to  have  been  cast  up  at  one  convulsive  throe,  pre 
senting  bold  and  gigantic  fronts ;  others  seem  now 
to  be  struggling  for  existence  among  rivals  which 
crowd  and  press  them  down.  In  some  places  they 
push  boldly  out,  then,  as  if  wearied  by  the  effort, 
they  rest.  At  others,  they  were  overwhelmed  by 
some  more  powerful  torrent  of  lava,  or  have  cast 
back  its  streams  in  burning  billows,  which  broke, 
and  cooled  into  many  singular  shapes.  They  are 
to  be  seen  in  all  the  fantastic  forms  which  the  fiery 
liquid  assumes  when  turned  from  its  course  by  inter 
vening  obstacles  ;  or  else  dashed  aside  and  scattered 
far  and  wide  by  the  shocks  of  earthquakes.  The 
rocky  sides  of  the  mountains  show,  by  their  irregular 
piling  and  distorted  veins,  the  several  directions 
which  the  liquid  lava  took  after  it  found  a  vent  from 
its  original  bed.  At  some  points,  the  mountains 
appear  to  have  been  rent  violently  asunder,  leaving 
sides  of  uniform  appearance.  At  others,  the  lava 
in  its  downward  course  seems  to  have  suddenly 
cooled  on  either  side  of  the  stream,  while  the  inte 
rior  flowed  on,  until  it  discharged  itself  into  the  sea, 
where  it  formed  shoals,  which  are  now  overgrown 
with  coral.  Such  is  the  fact  with  this  valley,  and 
Waimea,  Wailua,  and  others.  In  all  of  these  a  rich 
soil  has  formed,  which  is  now  covered  with  a  heavy 
growth  of  timber,  and  dense  beds  of  mosses  and 
ferns. 

As  these  passes  of  the  valley  alter  their  course,  the 
temperature  of  the  air  changes.  Some,  being  ex 
posed  to  a  powerful  sun.  are  hot,  while  others  are 


124  A    CATARACT. 

chilly  and  damp,  with  strong  breezes  blowing  through 
them. 

Native  art  has  diverged  the  river's  channel  in  seve 
ral  places,  for  the  purpose  of  catching  fishes,  by  dam 
ming  it,  and  leading  the  water  over  a  frame  of 
wicker-work.  As  the  fishes  come  down  the  stream , 
they  fall  upon  this  frame,  while  the  water  passes 
through  the  interstices,  leaving  them  prisoners.  The 
depth  of  the  water  varies  from  a  few  inches  to  eight 
een  feet. 

Following  this  valley  up  for  several  miles,  and 
passing  a  number  of  lofty  cascades,  a  water-fall 
comes  partly  in  view;  but  it  is  again  lost  to  the 
sight,  until,  after  turning  a  sharp  angle  in  the  glen,  it 
reappears,  and  the  visitor  finds  himself,  a  few  rods 
from  the  fall,  upon  a  narrow  ledge  of  rocks.  In  that 
direction  nature's  fiat  proclaims,  '  Thus  far  shalt  thou 
come  and  no  farther.'  A  perpendicular  wall,  be 
tween  three  and  four  hundred  feet  in  height,  and 
forming  so  complete  a  circle,  that  no  outlet,  except 
that  which  the  stream  makes,  is  seen ;  and  it  is  only 
by  following  up  its  bed,  through  dense  thickets,  that 
this  spot  can  be  reached.  The  circle  is  small,  and 
the  rocks  above  partly  project  over  the  outlet,  so  that 
it  appears  like  a  tunnel,  and  the  sun  can  reach  its 
bottom  only  when  vertical.  Nothing  can  be  seen 
except  a  few  scattering  shrubs  which  border  the  top. 
Fleecy  clouds  drive  rapidly  past,  before  the  strong 
gusts  of  these  mountain  regions.  The  air  here  is  ex 
ceedingly  cold  and  chilly,  and  the  rocks  wet  and 
slippery  with  spray.  If  the  visitor  is  heated  by  his 
excursion,  it  would  be  dangerous  for  him  to  approach 


GREAT  MORTALITY  AT  HANAPEPE.       125 

the  fall,  before  he  is  cooled,  as  the  perspiration  is 
liable  to  be  suddenly  checked.  Opposite,  and  far 
above  him,  is  the  fall ;  there,  about  ten  feet  in  width 
and  several  in  depth,  but  varying  in  volume  accor 
ding  to  the  rains,  springing  from  between  two  nar 
row  and  overhanging  masses  of  basaltic  columns,  it 
leaps  nearly  thirty  feet,  strikes  a  ledge  of  rocks,  and 
gradually  spreading  and  lessening  in  thickness,  falls 
many  more,  and  strikes  another  ledge ;  from  thence 
falling  again  an  equal  distance,  into  the  deep  and 
circumscribed  gulf  below,  whitening  with  its  foam 
the  whole  surface  of  the  rock  from  the  height  above. 
Although  the  rich  scenery  so  well  repays  one  for 
the  fatigue  of  the  excursion,  yet  few  whites  have 
ever  reached  this  spot,  and  it  still  remains  secluded 
and  almost  unknown ;  a  gem  to  reward  the  tourist. 
This  valley  was  once  peopled  by  a  bold  and  warlike 
tribe,  whose  deeds  were  the  honor  and  admiration  of 
the  other  portions  of  the  island.  Death,  of  late,  has 
been  busy  among  their  ranks,  and  they  have  dwin 
dled  to  a  few  hundreds,  living  in  more  than  ordinary 
wretched  hovels,  but  with  abundance  of  food  about 
them.  Returning  from  the  excursion  which  has 
drawn  forth  this  description,  the  missionary  who  re 
sides  at  Waimea  was  with  me.  Upon  reaching  the 
outer  line  of  huts,  near  the  beach,  a  number  of  na 
tives  rushed  out  and  arrested  our  progress.  After 
they  had  exchanged  a  few  words  with  my  clerical 
friend,  he  turned  and  begged  me  to  excuse  him  for  a 
few  minutes,  as  he  was  desired  to  join  a  couple  in 
the  bonds  of  matrimony.  He  entered  the  house,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  the  ceremony  was  over.  As  we 


126      A    NECESSARY    THOUGH    SUDDEN    MARRIAGE. 

were  leaving,  the  bride,  *  all  tattered  and  torn,'  issued 
from  the  door  and  went  about  her  customary  labors? 
as  coolly  and  unconcernedly  as  if  wedlock  had  been 
a  thing  of  long  standing  with  her,  and  instead  of  her 
first,  she  had  married  her  seventh  husband.  Her  lord, 
a  mere  boy,  looked  the  picture  of  sheepishness.  A 
glance  at  her  situation  showed  us  at  once  that  the 
missionary's  visit  was  opportune,  and  that  she  would 
have  been  obliged  soon  to  have  served  the  state,  by 
working  on  the  public  ways,  had  she  not,  instead, 
wisely  concluded  to  serve  a  husband. 

The  roads  over  this  island  are  mostly  the  work  of 
the  luckless  wights  of  both  sexes,  who  have  been  de 
tected  in  their  amours.  As  both  they  and  the  bridg 
es  are  in  excellent  repair,  and  the  number  of  those 
whose  sins  are  disco^red  it  is  presumed  bears  but  a 
small  proportion  to  those  whose  sins  are  not,  it  shows 
that  the  crime  of  licentiousness  is  still  very  prevalent. 
In  fact  it  far  outnumbers  all  others,  and  while  the 
grosser  and  more  open  violations  of  the  laws  can 
easily  be  detected  and  checked,  these  will  only  van 
ish  when  well  regulated  households  and  domestic 
virtues,  take  the  place  of  the  filthy  huts  and  disor 
derly  habits  of  the  peasantry.  Of  the  existing  gene 
ration,  whose  early  days  were  nurtured  among  the 
orgies  of  heathenism,  or  the  corruptions  of  the  court 
of  Liholiho,  not  much  can  be  expected.  But  better 
things  are  predicted  of  the  young,  to  whom  schools 
and  moral  teachings  have  become  familiar. 

Seven  miles  beyond  Hanapepe,  to  the  west,  lies 
the  village  of  Waimea,  the  capital  of  the  island,  and 
residence  of  the  present  Governess,  Amelia,  formerly 


THE    GOVERNESS. MISSION    HOUSES.  127 

wife  of  Kamehameha's  veteran  general,  Kaikoewa, 
ruler  of  Kauai.  She  is  now  married  to  a  common 
native.  Waimea  is  a  dusty  village,  situated  on  the 
beach  and  west  bank  of  the  river  of  the  same  name. 
Its  population  has  dwindled  to  a  third  of  its  former 
number,  when  ships  made  it  a  recruiting  place,  and 
it  is  still  rapidly  decreasing.  A  sail  is  now  rarely 
seen  in  its  roadstead,  and  its  barren  soil,  which  is  of 
a  dark-red  hue,  and  excessive  heat,  make  it  one  of 
the  least  desirable  residences  on  the  islands.  One  or 
two  foreigners  reside  there,  beside  a  mission  family, 
(Mr.  &  Mrs.  Whitney,)  who  are  stationed  there,  and 
have  occupied  the  ground  with  great  zeal  and  faith 
fulness  for  twenty  years.  Another  family  was  con 
nected  with  them,  but  a  few  years  since  it  was 
deemed  desirable  that  they  should  remove  to  Koloa. 
The  house  which  they  occupied,  which  was  a  good 
two  story  wooden  building,  and  erected  at  consider 
able  expense,  is  now  left  a  prey  to  the  elements,  and 
of  no  use  to  any  one.  It  might  be  made  useful  as  a 
school-house,  but,  for  some  reason,  has  never  been 
occupied,  since  the  family,  for  whom  it  was  built,  re 
moved  from  it. 

The  Governess  has  also  a  very  good  wooden 
dwelling-house,  prettily  situated,  upon  a  hill,  which 
was  built  for  her  late  husband,  by  foreign  mechan 
ics  ;  but  it  is  kept  in  very  poor  repair,  and  is  sel 
dom  occupied.  However  good  houses  the  chiefs 
may  have,  they  prefer  to  sleep  in  thatched  huts,  after 
the  good  old  custom  of  their  ancestors,  while  their 
finer  dwellings  are  kept  only  as  matters  of  state,  and 
to  gratify  their  pride  in  the  eyes  of  foreigners.  To 


128   RESIDENCE  OF  RULERS. STRAW  PALACE. 

use  them,  is  quite  as  inconvenient  as  it  is  to  a  com 
mon  native  to  mount  a  pair  of  tight  pants ;  a  pen 
ance  which  he  will  endure  for  an  hour  or  two  of  a 
Sunday  or  holyday,  but  which  he  is  very  glad  to  lay 
aside  for  the  malo. 

Amelia,  however,  prides  herself  upon  possessing 
the  finest  thatched  house,  after  the  Hawaiian  style, 
upon  the  islands.  It  was  a  work  of  gallantry  on  the 
part  of  her  late  lord,  and  one  of  his  last  works  of  any 
nature.  Not  long  before  he  died,  which  was  in 
1839,  she  expressed  a  wish  to  have  such  a  building 
erected.  Governor  Kaikoewa,  who,  by  the  way, 
was  a  severe  taskmaster,  and,  Napoleon-like,  had  a 
most  aristocratic,  or  rather  despotic  contempt  for  the 
word  impossible,  issued  his  orders,  and  the  work 
was  commenced.  Amelia,  with  an  equal  disregard 
to  any  obstacles  which  nature  might  present,  or 
moved  by  that  spirit  which  enhances  the  value  of  an 
object  by  the  effort  to  obtain  it,  selected,  not  just  the 
site  which  was  the  most  eligible,  and  of  which  there 
was  abundance,  to  wit,  dry  ground,  but  the  miry 
beds  of  some  fish  ponds  and  taro  patches.  Many 
months' labor  were  spent  in  filling  these  up,  notwith 
standing  the  high  dignitaries  of  the  land  set  a  most 
edifying  example  of  labor,  by  occasionally  exerting 
themselves  to  deposit  a  few  handfuls  of  earth  therein, 
by  way  of  encouragement  to  their  vassals.  Portly 
dames  and  lusty  kanakas  might  have  then  been  seen 
wending  their  way  to  the  pit,  in  full,  living  suits  of 
dame  Nature,  puffing  and  panting,  under  the  efforts 
to  move  their  unwieldy  limbs,  while  boys  and  girls, 
men  and  women,  all  that  could  go  beyond  a  creep, 


A    NOBLE    CANOK. FORT. 

vied  with  them  in  —  laziness.  However,  the  work 
advanced,  under  the  eyes  of  the  old  governor,  and  a 
foundation  was  at  last  made.  The  building  erected 
was  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  in  length,  thirty-four 
in  breadth,  and  thirty  to  the  ridge  pole.  It  is  a  neat 
and  pretty  house,  with  an  air  of  savage  grandeur 
about  it,  which  is  pleasing.  The  interior  was  one 
fine  hall,  but  has  since  been  divided  into  two  rooms, 
and  from  the  fineness  of  the  cinet,  and  the  neatness 
with  which  it  is  laid  on,  the  whiteness  of  the  rafters, 
regularity  and  size  of  the  posts,  smoothness  of  the 
thatch,  and  good  proportions  of  the  whole,  presents 
quite  a  regal  appearance,  and  is  well  worth  the  at 
tention  of  a  traveller,  particularly,  as  such  governors 
as  Kaikoewa  are  becoming  scarce,  and  the  chance 
of  there  being  more  such  buildings  erected  some 
what  dubious.  In  it  is  deposited  a  canoe,  of  most 
beautiful  workmanship,  belonging  to  Moses,  the  gov 
ernor  apparent.  It  is  made  of  a  Koalog,  and  is  forty- 
four  and  a  half  feet  long,  three  feet  deep,  and  twenty- 
one  inches  wide,  with  high  prow  and  stern,  neatly 
attached  to  the  main  body,  by  fine  cord.  The  whole 
is  finely  polished,  and  from  the  care  with  which  it  is 
preserved,  can  be  but  seldom  used. 

On  the  east  bank  of  the  river  is  the  stone  fort,  now 
almost  in  ruins,  which  was  built  by  the  Russians  in 
1815,  for  Kaumualii.  It  still  mounts  a  considerable 
number  of  small  guns,  and  is  of  sufficient  strength 
to  resist  any  attacks  from  the  islanders,  should  they 
be  inclined  again  to  rebel. 

In  full  view  from  Waimea  is  the  island  of  Niihau. 
Its  greatest  length  is  eighteen  miles,  its  breadth  eight ; 


130  INTRODUCTION    OF    FLEAS. 

though  the  average  is  not  more  than  five.  Its  eleva 
tion  is  about  two  thousand  feet,  much  broken  up 
by  deep  ravines,  and  with  a  barren  soil,  which  pro 
duces  nothing  but  a  few  stunted  shrubs,  onions, 
yams,  and  potatoes.  The  inhabitants  suffer  much 
from  want  of  water;  their  sole  dependence  being 
upon  rain,  which  is  collected  and  preserved  in  reser 
voirs.  This  island  is  noted  for  the  manufacture  of 
mats,  some  of  which  are  of  high  finish  and  very 
costly. 

Waimea,  according  to  native  tradition,  claims  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  landing-place  of — fleas. 
Their  introduction  was  after  the  following  manner. 
A  woman,  as  was  customary  then,  having  gone  off 
to  a  vessel  at  anchor  in  the  roads,  received  from  her 
lover,  upon  her  return,  a  bottle  tightly  corked,  which 
he  told  her  contained  valuable  waiivai,  (property,) 
and  that  she  must  not  open  it  until  she  reached  the 
shore.  She  obeyed  his  instructions,  and  overjoyed 
with  her  acquisition,  hastened  to  show  it  to  her 
friends.  Having  assembled  them  all,  the  bottle  was 
uncorked  with  the  greatest  care,  and  looking  in,  they 
beheld  nothing.  The  nimble  prisoners  had  all  hopped 
out,  and  soon  gave  being  to  a  countless  progeny, 
that  have  gone  on  ever  since,  hopping  and  biting 
with  undiminished  zeal.  The  man  should  have 
been  flayed  alive  for  his  mischief,  or  tied,  Mazeppa 
like,  to  the  back  of  one  of  his  own  fleas. 

Kauai  contains  a  greater  portion  of  arable  land, 
and  more  rich,  loamy  earth,  in  proportion  to  its  size, 
than  the  others  of  the  group  ;  and  geologically  speak 
ing,  this  island  appears  to  be  older  than  its  more 


GEOLOGICAL  FEATURES.  131 

eastern  sisters,  or  has  been  for  a  much  longer  period 
free  from  any  volcanic  action,  which  has  given  time 
for  soil  to  be  made,  by  the  action  of  the  weather  upon 
the  friable  and  porous  rocks,  which  commonly  form 
the  crust  of  volcanic  countries.  Age  after  age  has 
accumulated  its  successive  deposits  of  mineral  and 
vegetable  decay,  until  all  the  more  recent  and  violent 
traces  of  the  action  of  subterranean  fires  have  grad 
ually  disappeared,  and  left  in  their  places,  fine  prairie- 
like  meadows,  or  thickly  wooded  uplands,  some  of 
which  betray  their  origin  by  their  crater-form  shapes. 
Koloa  alone,  at  this  day,  boasts  of  a  bond  fide  crater, 
which,  however,  is  extinct.  It  is  conical  shaped, 
and  its  rough  and  jagged  sides  are  the  abode  of  num 
bers  of  wild  goats.  Its  situation  is  at  the  southeast 
ern  extremity,  a  short  distance  from  the  shore,  which 
in  that  immediate  region,  partakes  of  its  craggy  and 
precipitous  nature.  The  lava,  in  flowing  from  it, 
formed  on  all  sides  a  rocky  field,  the  surface  of 
which,  in  its  close  vicinity,  is  broken  up  into  thou 
sands  of  piles  of  small  but  sharp-pointed  rocks, 
particularly  gratifying  to  goats,  but  not  equally  so  to 
their  owners,  when  in  chase  of  them.  The  earth 
here  is  pierced  in  every  direction,  by  labyrinthine 
caves  extending  long  distances  under  ground,  some 
of  them  containing  ponds  of  water,  and  having  sev 
eral  outlets,  which  appear  through  the  superincum 
bent  soil,  like  wells.  They  resemble  the  winding 
subterranean  galleries  of  ant-hills,  and  were  probably 
formed  by  the  sudden  cooling  of  the  lava  on  its  sur 
face,  when  in  a  state  of  thorough  fusion ;  the  upper 
crust  being  the  first  to  acquire  consistency,  while  the 
under  stream  flowed  as  long  as  it  found  an  outlet, 


132  UPLANDS    AND    LOWLANDS. 

Bat  Kauai,  like  the  remainder  of  the  group,  cannot 
be  called  a  rich  island.  Indeed,  when  considered 
as  a  whole,  they  are  barren  ;  still  Kauai,  from  the 
causes  above  stated,  and  from  its  being  the  best 
watered,  presents  by  far  the  most  verdant  appear 
ance.  The  island  may  be  divided  into  two  distinct 
and  nearly  equal  parts  —  the  uplands  and  the  low 
lands.  The  former  embraces  the  whole  western 
portion,  commencing  at  Waimea  on  the  south,  and 
gradually  rising  inland,  until  it  attains  an  average 
height  of  four  thousand  feet,  bordered  on  the  east  by 
that  chain  of  mountains  which  bisects  the  island  from 
north  to  south,  commencing  at  Hanapepe,  and  ex 
tending  to  Hanalei,  of  which  Mauna  Waialeale, 
which  throws  up  its  precipitous  sides  from  nearly 
the  centre,  to  the  height  of  six  thousand  feet,  is  the 
chief.  This  upland,  for  twenty  miles  on  the  coast 
to  the  northwest,  forms  a  precipice,  or  in  the  Hawaiian 
tongue,  palij  of  its  full  height,  four  thousand  feet, 
and  which  presents  one  of  the  grandest  spectacles 
of  nature.  In  most  places  it  is  perpendicular,  and 
accessible  from  the  sea  at  one  spot  only,  where  the 
natives  have,  with  much  labor,  constructed  a  sort  of 
ladder,  by  which  they  ascend  to  the  heights  above. 
Its  surface  runs  at  times  into  the  most  fanciful  and 
fantastic  shapes  ;  sometimes  beetling  with  crags,  or 
steepened  sides,  which  appear  like  the  walls  of  a 
mountain  fort,  or  broken  into  rugged  masses  and 
sharpened  peaks,  resembling  the  castellated  ruins  of  a 
feudal  age.  Masses  hang  tottering  overhead,  fearful 
to  gaze  upon,  and  which  annually  are  precipitated 
into  the  foaming  surge  beneath.  These  frequently 


REMARKABLE    CAVES. 


leave  points  so  singular  and  so  human  in  shape,  that 
the  natives  in  former  times  looked  upon  them  as  the 
locale  of  supernatural  beings,  and  rendered  them 
worship.  At  one  spot  can  be  traced  the  giant  figure 
of  a  head,  projecting  in  bold  relief  from  the  clear 
sky ;  and  imaginations  less  superstitious  than  those 
of  heathen,  could  easily  infuse  a  spirit  of  life  and 
undefined  fear  into  these  singular  and  formidable 
freaks  of  nature.  At  the  base  of  this  huge  pile,  the 
ocean  has  worn  many  caves,  into  which  the  sea 
rushes  with  a  stunning  roar  and  startling  reverbera 
tions.  The  passage  from  one  extremity  of  this  prec 
ipice  to  the  other,  is  frequently  made  in  calm  weather 
in  canoes ;  but  should  the  wind  arise,  so  great  is  the 
swell,  there  would  be  small  chance  of  saving  life, 
and  many  have  perished  in  the  attempt. 

At  Haena,  its  northern  extremity,  are  found  caves 
of  considerable  extent,  one  of  which  runs  four  hun 
dred  feet  into  the  solid  rock,  forming  spacious  but 
low  chambers,  of  almost  equal  breadth.  In  it  is 
shown  a  lurking-place,  formed  by  an  indentation  in 
the  rock,  so  well  concealed  that  in  former  times,  a 
chief,  when  pursued  by  his  foes,  took  refuge  there : 
and  though  they  came  near  enough  for  him  to  touch 
them,  he  remained  undiscovered,  and  saved  his  life. 
According  to  the  natives,  this  cave  is  gradually  sink 
ing-  from  above,  and  diminishing  its  limits.  Near  it 
are  two  others,  of  less  extent,  containing  ponds  of 
fresh  water,  fifty  feet  in  depth,  their  roofs  being  of 
the  same  height.  One  of  these  is  encrusted  with  a 
coat  of  lime,  which  also  covers  the  surface  of  the 
water,  giving  it  a  singular  appearance ;  so  much  so, 
12 


134  SPOUT1NG-HORN. 

that  the  natives  are  afraid  to  venture  into  it,  conceiv 
ing  it  to  be  the  abode  of  evil  spirits.  However,  my 
experience  proved  that  a  few  gun-flints  had  more 
charms  for  them  than  the  ghosts  had  fears,  though  I 
doubt  much  if  a  bribe  could  have  induced  them  to 
venture  in,  if  a  haole  had  not  been  present. 

A  remarkable  natural  curiosity  exists  at  the  water 
side  at  Koloa.  It  is  called  the  Whale,  or  Spouting- 
Horn,  and  is  formed  by  a  ledge  of  rocks,  which 
extends  to  a  short  distance  into  the  ocean;  and 
which,  by  the  action  of  the  waves,  has  become 
pierced  with  caverns  and  a  labyrinth  of  galleries. 
The  sea  has  worked  through  one  of  them  an  outlet 
to  the  surface  of  the  rock  above.  It  is  now  three 
feet  in  diameter,  and  communicates  with  the  largest 
of  the  caves.  During  a  strong  wind,  at  every  swell 
of  the  sea  the  water  is  driven  into  the  cave,  and 
passes  out  at  this  opening  with  great  velocity,  form 
ing  a  large  column,  rising  to  the  height  of  from 
thirty  to  sixty  feet  into  the  air,  from  which  elevation 
it  spreads  itself  in  sheets  of  spray  and  foam.  The 
noise  accompanying  this  discharge  is  tremendous ; 
much  like  that  produced  by  the  escape  of  steam 
from  a  high-pressure  engine.  The  warm  air  is  also 
forced  through  numerous  crevices  in  the  surrounding 
rock,  with  a  shrill  and  piercing  scream.  The  force 
of  the  jet  of  water  through  this  opening  is  so  great 
as  to  cast  out  stones  of  considerable  size  and  weight 
into  the  air,  when  thrown  into  the  orifice,  as  the  sea 
approaches.  The  native  name  of  the  place  is  puhi} 
to  blow  or  puff. 

The  upland  or  table  region,  as  it  rises  from  the 


GREAT  BODY  OF  ARABLE  LAND.        135 

south,  is  parched  and  barren,  presenting  nothing  but 
a  light  soil  of  a  reddish  hue,  until  it  attains  its  great 
est  elevation,  where  a  region  of  heavy  woodland 
commences,  from  which  the  trees  for  canoes,  and  for 
large  timber,  are  obtained.  As  it  approaches  the 
north,  showers  become  more  abundant,  and  the  far 
thest  portion  is  most  of  the  time  enveloped  in  clouds 
and  drenched  in  rain.  The  land  is  cold  and  cheer 
less,  and  broken  up  into  deep  morasses  and  inac 
cessible  ravines.  None  of  the  productions  of  the 
lower  region  will  thrive  here,  though  it  is  not  at  all 
improbable  but  that  some  of  the  vegetables  of  the 
temperate  climates  would  do  well.  Its  damp  and 
chilly  atmosphere  drives  man  to  the  more  genial 
weather  of  the  valleys,  and  it  is  never  visited  except 
by  parties  for  timber,  or  a  traveller,  from  curiosity. 
The  cold  is  great  during  the  summer,  and  in  the 
winter  hail  and  snow  are  not  unfrequent. 

The  lower  region,  which  embraces  all  the  eastern 
portion  of  the  island,  is  much  broken  up  by  valleys 
and  small  ranges  of  mountains,  with  fine  rolling 
upland  between  them.  Towards  the  interior  it 
becomes  well  wooded,  and  all  of  it  is  watered  by 
numerous  streams,  which  come  tumbling  from  the 
mountains  in  cascades,  some  of  which  are  of  great 
height  and  beauty.  These  uniting  at  their  base,  and 
forcing  their  way  through  dark  gorges,  and  over 
shelving  rocks,  gradually  receiving  additions  in  their 
rapid  course,  form  at  last  the  rivers  with  which  this 
island  abounds,  and  which  characterize  it  from  all 
the  others  of  the  group.  The  principal  of  these  are 
Hanalei,  Waialua,  Hanapepe,  and  Waimea.  All 


136  CLIMATE. 

of  these,  with  their  tributary  streams,  afford  an  inex 
haustible  supply  of  water  power,  much  of  which 
will  doubtless  be  turned  to  valuable  account  for  the 
plantations,  which  the  numerous  facilities  and  good 
soil  will  finally  concentrate  here. 

The  great  body  of  this  lowland  region  ( as  I 
have  termed  it,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  more  eleva 
ted  country )  extends  from  Hanapepe  valley  on  the 
south,  to  that  of  Waioli  on  the  north,  a  distance  of 
fifty  miles  in  length,  averaging  from  three  to  four 
miles  in  breadth,  in  some  places  extending  back  ten 
or  more.  Almost  all  of  this  tract  is  suitable  for  the 
culture 'of  sugar-cane,  or  indigo;  the  Bengal  variety 
of  which  grows  luxuriantly,  even  without  any  care 
bestowed  upon  it.  The  valleys,  which  are  well  pro 
tected  from  the  wind,  will  do  well  for  coffee.  Cotton 
of  a  fine  silky  staple  does  well,  and  produces  abun 
dantly,  but  is  subject  to  the  ravages  of  a  worm  which 
destroys  the  pod  just  as  it  arrives  at  maturity;  con 
sequently  as  yet  the  natives  have  not  attended  to  its 
culture.  Tobacco  grows  well,  and  is  cultivated  to  a 
considerable  extent.  The  best  soil  is  to  be  found 
in  the  valleys  watered  by  the  larger  streams,  which 
annually  enrich  their  banks  by  their  alluvial  deposits- 
It  is  on  only  such  sites  that  the  orange,  fig,  and  lime 
trees  flourish. 

Kauai  is  so  near  the  temperate  zone,  that  a  per 
petual  struggle  seems  to  exist  between  the  habits  of 
the  colder  climes  and  the  perennial  green  of  the 
tropical.  Some  trees  shed  their  leaves  to  a  great 
extent  in  autumn,  and  await  the  showers  of  spring- 
to  clothe  them  anew,  while  others  retain  their  old 


STORMS.  137 

dress  and  vigor,  without  any  apparent  change.  The 
grasses  ripen  and  cast  their  seed  in  fall :  orange  trees 
blossom  in  February,  and  bear  fruit  from  March  to 
September.  Figs,  and  some  other  fruits,  bear  two 
or  more  crops  annually.  The  climate  is  delightful, 
being  of  that  happy  medium  between  the  extremes 
of  heat  and  cold,  which  is  the  most  agreeable  to  the 
constitution.  The  trades,  which  so  greatly  mitigate 
the  tropical  heats,  prevail  very  generally  for  ten 
months  during  the  year,  frequently  blowing  a  gale 
of  wind,  or  more  often,  as  they  reach  the  land,  varied 
by  heavy  squalls.  They  range  from  North  to  East, 
but  usually  N.  E.,  bringing  with  them  on  the  wind 
ward  side  much  rain,  which  gradually  decreases  in 
quantity  as  it  recedes  from  the  summits  of  the  higher 
mountains  that  first  attract  and  break  the  heavy 
clouds  of  vapor ;  so  that  at  the  southernmost  points, 
except  during  winter,  very  little  falls,  and  sometimes 
droughts  destructive  to  the  sugar  crops  ensue.  At 
Hanalei,  on  the  windward  side,  it  has  been  known  to 
hail.  From  December  to  March  the  trades  are  liable 
to  be  interrupted ;  the  wind  commonly  prevailing 
from  the  S.  E,  to  the  N.  W.,  and  much  of  the  time 
calm.  The  atmosphere  then  is  dry,  and  remarkably 
pellucid ;  the  heavens  free  from  clouds,  the  water 
courses  low,  and  the  weather  cool  and  bracing. 
The  evenings  are  most  lovely,  and  the  sunsets  array 
themselves  in  their  choicest  tropical  rays,  presenting 
scenes  of  the  most  enchanting  beauty. 

These  islands  are  not  subject  to  the   hurricanes 
common  to  other  tropical  climates,  though  occasion 
ally  it  blows  sufficiently  strong  during  the  winter 
12* 


138  MINERALS. 

months,  to  prostrate  the  frail  habitations  of  the  natives, 
and  do  damage  to  the  trees.  Thunder  and  lightning 
are  of  very  rare  occurrence.  The  average  tempera 
ture  of  the  inhabited  parts  of  the  island,  is  not  far 
from  eighty  degrees  F.  at  noon ;  mornings  and  even 
ings  are  much  cooler.  At  Koloa,  the  thermometer 
has  been  as  low  as  forty-eight  degrees  F.,  once  dur 
ing  five  years ;  and  frequently  at  fifty-two,  fifty -five, 
and  fifty-eight  degrees,  and  as  high  as  ninety-three 
degrees. 

The  minerals  of  Kauai  are  few,  and  of  little 
variety,  embracing  the  usual  kinds  of  porous  or  com 
pact  lava ;  in  some  places  basaltic  columns  make 
their  appearance.  The  soil  is  very  generally  free 
from  stones,  except  in  the  neighborhood  of  Koloa. 
Pumice-stone  is  occasionally  found,  and  some  traces 
of  iron.  To  the  west  of  Waioli  a  beautiful  compact 
sandstone  occurs,  suitable  for  building. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Travelling  in  Kauai.  —  Horse  and  Equipments. —  Crazy  Guide. — 
Stuttering  Jim.  —  Cruelty  of  a  Chief.  —  Narrow  Escape  of  a  Mis 
sionary. —  Gov.  Kaikoewa's  Embryo  City.  —  His  Harbor.  —  Brig 
in  trouble.  —  Desire  of  Natives  to  display  their  Knowledge  of 
English.  —  Wailua  River  and  Village.  —  An  Ex-queen.  —  Her 
History. —  Hospitality. —  Large  Cattle. —  A  Disappointed  Sports 
man. —  Celebrated  Falls  of  Wailua. —  Singular  Freak  of  a  Chief. — 
Two  Hawaiian  Sam  Patches. —  Inland  Scenery.  —  Mauna  Waia- 
leale.  —  Wild  Swine.  —  Dogs.  —  Degradation  of  Kauaian  Women. 
—  Obtain  some  Crania,  and  a  New  Title  in  consequence. —  Hos 
pitality  of  Common  People. —  Offices  and  Titles.  —  Anahola. — 
A  Veteran  of  Kamehameha. —  Prince  of  Laziness.  —  Lomi-lomi. — 
A  Temple  of  God's  own  building.  —  A  Dangerous  Ford.  —  Roads 
to  Waioli.  —  A  Labor  of  Love.  —  Valley  of  Kalihiwai.  —  Hala 
Forest.—  Waioli.—'  River  and  Mountains. —  Residents. —  Agricul 
tural  Operations.  —  Silk  Plantation.  —  A  Chronological  Wood 
Pile. 

FOR  journeys  in  lands  where  a  carriage  would  be 
almost  as  much  of  a  novelty  as  a  steam-engine,  and 
where  the  roads  are  mere  paths,  many  and  confused, 
leading  here  there  and  every  where,  a  good  horse 
and  a  good  guide  are  indispensable.  It  is  not 
amiss  to  have  good  company.  All  of  these  requi 
sites  fell  to  my  lot  upon  leaving  Koloa,  for  a  trip 
along  the  eastern  and  northern  portions  of  the 
island.  An  old  resident  views  the  animal  which  is 
to  bear  him  through  dangerous  passes,  over  hill  and 
plain,  across  rivers  and  gulches,  for  as  many  days  as 
it  pleases  him  to  prolong  his  journey,  with  the  indif- 


140  CRAZY    GUIDE. 

ference  of  a  veteran  campaigner.  Not  so  the  novice, 
fresh  from  the  lands  of  rail-roads,  steamboats,  clean 
sheets,  soft  bedding,  and  luxurious  feeding.  The 
horse  with  his  rude  Spanish  equipments,  a  high- 
backed  wooden  saddle,  with  a  logger-head  in  front, 
an  uneasy  article  if  judged  from  its  appearance,  but 
a  most  serviceable  one  when  in  use,  and  the  heavy, 
jaw-breaking  bit,  all  seem  strange,  and  set  his  pre 
vious  notions  of  equestrianship  at  defiance.  How 
ever,  he  soon  finds  himself  seated  with  a  noncha 
lance  that  surprises  him,  if  his  practice  has  heretofore 
been  confined  to  the  riding-school,  and  paved  streets. 
The  blood  quickens  with  the  lively  motion  of  the 
generous  beast,  whose  gait  is  no  stiff,  break-neck, 
ungainly  trot,  destructive  alike  of  grace  and  comfort. 
His  action  is  as  free  and  easy  as  that  of  the  wild 
horse  of  the  prairie,  and  as  the  refreshing  breeze 
sweeps  down  from  among  the  picturesque  hills 
which  surround  him,  his  rider's  spirit  is  awakened, 
and  he  enters  upon  the  tour  with  a  zest  and  an 
enthusiasm  which  no  other  mode  of  conveyance  is 
capable  of  exciting.  So  much  for  my  own  first 
impressions.  My  guide  merits  particular  descrip 
tion. 

Imagine,  if  possible,  a  middle-sized,  athletic  na 
tive,  with  long,  jet  black  hair,  no  two  curls  of  which 
lay  in  the  same  direction,  and  eyes,  quick,  fiery,  and 
wandering.  His  head  fancifully  decorated  with  a 
wreath  of  forest  leaves  and  flowers,  while  a  necklace 
of  vegetable  stalks  encircles  his  neck.  His  panta 
loons,  made  of  tapa,  once  whole,  but  now  hanging 
in  tatters  above  his  knees,  a  red-flannel  shirt  com- 


CRAZY    GUIDE.  141 

pleting  his  wardrobe.  This  he  calls  tapa  maikai, 
(good  cloth,)  in  distinction  to  the  frail  material  which 
graces  his  nether  members,  which  was  aole  maikai, 
(no  good.)  A  few  miles  through  a  bushy  road, 
aided  by  his  eccentric  deviations,  soon  lessened  the 
difference  between  them,  and  both  pants  and  shirt 
would  have  answered  for  signal  pennants  to  the 
Flying  Dutchman.  An  iron  ramrod,  the  sole  relic 
of  his  former  profession,  dangled,  en  milUaire,  in  his 
right  hand.  He  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  army, 
but  for  some  mad  caper,  his  chief  had  discharged 
him.  Such  is  an  outline  of  the  being  who  present 
ed  himself  as  a  guide.  Entirely  fearless  of  danger, 
quick  in  his  movements,  careless  of  fatigue,  and  an 
excellent  caterer,  he  proved  himself  a  valuable  ser 
vant.  In  addition  to  all  these  qualifications,  he  was 
at  intervals  crazy,  and  his  whole  conduct  was  a 
complete  exemplification  of  savage  eccentricity. 
He  was  mounted,  sans  saddle,  upon  a  small,  well- 
built  horse,  between  which  and  his  master,  a  con 
stant  state  of  warfare  existed.  As  often  as  the  huge 
iron  spur,  which  was  bound  to  the  foot  of  the  guide, 
came  in  contact  with  the  horse's  ribs,  his  heels 
described  a  semi-circle  in  the  air,  while  with  his 
head  he  made  desperate  attempts  to  bite  the  rider's 
naked  limbs.  Four  times  did  the  obstinate  brute 
cause  his  rider  to  perform  as  many  flying  somersets, 
*  high  in  mid  air,'  before  he  was  mastered. 

It  was  laughable  to  witness  the  contest  which 
took  place  between  the  wild  horse,  and  his  yet 
wilder  rider,  as  he  rode  furiously  over  the  plain, 
with  his  gay-colored  garments  waving  in  streamers 


142  CRAZY    GUIDE. 

from  his  back.  In  horsemanship  he  was  equal  to  a 
Bedouin  Arab,  or  a  circus-rider.  While  crossing  a 
stream,  he  would  throw  himself  flat  upon  the 
horse's  back,  at  right  angles  with  his  head,  and 
drink,  without  delaying  his  progress.  His  nights 
were  mostly  spent  in  singing  and  praying;  his 
enemies  always  coming  in  for  a  large  share  of  the 
latter. 

Two  of  his  freaks  were  related  to  us,  which  are 
worth  recording.  His  master  having  sent  him  to 
catch  a  young  horse,  he  pursued  the  animal,  and, 
being  fleet  of  foot,  soon  came  up  with  it ;  not  being 
able  to  seize  its  head,  he  grasped  the  tail,  by  the  aid 
of  which  he  soon  seated  himself  upon  its  back. 
His  blood  now  being  up,  and  seeing  a  large  bull 
quietly  feeding,  he  forsook  the  former,  and,  by  a 
similar  process,  mounted  the  latter;  and,  notwith 
standing  the  angry  demonstrations  of  the  bull,  who 
was  raving  at  the  indignity,  rode  him  in  triumph 
round  the  field.  His  only  complaint  was,  '  that  he 
did  not  go  fast  enough.' 

The  fellow  faithfully  served  me,  and  despite  his 
eccentricities,  he  was  clever  enough  in  his  own  way, 
and  withal  most  excellent  company,  if  for  no  other 
reason  than  to  create  merriment.  His  vagaries  were 
so  many  and  varied,  and  performed,  too,  with  such 
ludicrous  gravity,  that  it  was  impossible  to  avoid 
indulging  in  shouts  of  laughter,  which  he  would 
greet  with  a  contorted,  mystified  smile,  as  if  wonder 
ing  why  the  haole  should  be  so  merry,  and,  servant 
like,  considering  it  his  bounden  duty  to  sympathize 
therein.  Ragged  as  he  was  when  he  left  me,  the 


STUTTERING    JIM.  143 

next  time  I  fell  in  with  him,  he  had  joined  the 
church  and  turned  gentleman.  He  was  dressed  in 
a  suit  of  black  broadcloth,  dress  coat,  and  all  to 
match.  Upon  inquiry  I  learned,  lest  his  time  should 
hang  heavy  upon  his  hands,  and  to  raise  funds  to 
keep  his  wardrobe  in  repair,  he  had  consented  to  fill 
the  situation  of  cook.  In  justice  to  him  it  should  be 
stated,  that  he  left  his  eccentricities  outside  the 
kitchen,  and  his  cooking  was  excellent. 

Others  to  do  the  needful  were  with  us.  Boys, 
fleet  of  foot,  to  carry  luggage,  and  to  see  that  during 
the  night  no  evil  disposed  persons  besides  themselves 
rode  their  masters'  horses.  A  feat  for  which,  along 
this  route,  many  volunteers  are  always  to  be  found ; 
and  the  traveller  not  unfrequently  sees  the  faithful 
beast  which  he  left  the  evening  before  quietly 
munching  his  food,  the  succeeding  morning  look 
ing  as  haggard  and  trembling  as  if  sprites  had  ridden 
him  hard  all  night.  Two  of  my  boys,  yclept  No 
body  and  Sunshine,  were  precious  rogues,  but  the 
jewel  of  the  gang  was  a  man  known  as  stuttering 
Jim.  According  to  his  own  account  he  had  learned 
to  stutter  in  America.  He  certainly  did  credit  to  his 
name.  I  had  secured  somewhat  of  an  oddity  for  a 
guide,  but  this  fellow  was  even  more  ragged  and 
dirty.  He  first  attracted  my  attention  when  chaffer 
ing  for  some  poultry.  To  my  utter  astonishment,  I 
heard  a  voice  in  very  good,  but  very  stuttering 
English  beside  me,  proceeding  from  as  genuine  a 
Hawaiian  loafer  as  one  need  wish  to  meet  with, 
address  me  as  follows.  V-v-v-ver-ver-ver-y  — 
g-g-oo-o-d  hens,  S-s-s-sir  —  b-b-b-b-tt-ter  b-b-buy 


144  STUTTERING    JIM. 

them  S-s-sir  —  it  taking  him  at  least  five  minutes  to 
accomplish  the  sentence.  I  bought  the  hens,  and 
inquired  his  history.  He  had  spent  several  years  in 
the  United  States,  and  had  been  a  cook  in  a  family 
in  Boston.  By  his  own  story  he  was  an  honest  fel 
low,  with  whom  the  world  had  gone  hard  —  others 
somewhat  maliciously  whispered  that  the  world  had 
only  given  him  his  deserts.  However,  as  I  thought 
my  cortege  would  be  incomplete  without  such  an 
addition,  I  forthwith  installed  him  as  cook  and  in 
terpreter,  and  it  is  no  libel  upon  his  merits  to  say, 
that  for  the  life  of  me,  I  never  could  decide  in  which 
department  he  gave  most  trouble.  As  soon  as  he 
opened  his  mouth,  his  brethren,  although  they  stood 
somewhat  in  awe  of  his  temper,  which  was  none  of 
the  mildest,  began  to  giggle,  and  before  he  could 
complete  even  the  simplest  sentence,  their  giggle 
had  increased  to  a  laugh,  and  then  unfortunate  Jim, 
mortified  and  confused,  having  forgotten  what  he 
commenced  with,  was  obliged  to  renew  his  attempt 
at  distinct  articulation.  And  the  more  he  tried,  the 
worse  it  became.  Indeed,  of  all  the  inveterate  stut 
terers  I  ever  met  with,  no  two  equalled  him. 
Once  I  saw  him  carried  completely  around  a  good- 
sized  field  which  he  was  ploughing,  arriving  at  pre 
cisely  the  same  place  he  had  commenced  the  sen 
tence  '  hold  on,'  as  he  brought  out  the  final  word. 
I  tried  to  cure  him,  according  to  the  principles  laid 
down  in  Arnott's  Physics  for  that  infirmity,  but 
failed,  from  want  of  perseverance  on  his  part,  and 
the  inveterateness  of  the  habit  with  him.  During 
the  time  he  remained  with  me,  he  worked  willingly 


CRUELTY    OF    A    CHIEF.  145 

and  faithfully,  and  a  year  afterwards  it  grieved  me 
much  to  see  him  mending  the  public  ways,  in  con 
sequence  of  not  having  in  season  mended  his  own. 
The  ride  from  Koloa,  along  the  east  coast,  to 
Waioli  on  the  north,  is  well  worth  the  time  bestow 
ed  upon  it.  The  distance  is  forty-five  miles.  Leav 
ing  Koloa,  the  traveller  follows,  for  three  miles  or  so, 
the  base  of  the  low  range  of  mountains  which  bor 
der  it  on  the  north ;  he  then  descends  a  long  hill, 
and  finds  himself  upon  the  broad  belt  of  lower 
table-land,  which,  being  in  general  well  watered, 
affords  fine  grazing  ground.  The  hill  is  still  held  in 
bitter  remembrance,  as  being  one  of  the  many  spots 
where  acts  of  wanton  cruelty  were  perpetrated  on 
the  prisoners  taken  in  the  last  rebellion.  One  of 
them  was  ordered  to  carry  a  portly  chief  upon  his 
back  to  the  summit  of  this  hill ;  if  he  failed,  he  was 
to  be  bayoneted.  He  made  the  attempt,  and  slowly 
bore  up  under  his  load.  He  had  nearly  reached  the 
boundary  which  was  to  insure  him  life,  when,  the 
perspiration,  and  almost  the  blood,  starting  from 
every  pore,  by  the  intensity  of  his  efforts,  his  knees 
failed,  his  limbs  trembled,  and  he  sank  exhausted  to 
the  ground.  His  rider,  true  to  his  word,  stabbed 
him,  and  left  him  to  perish  of  the  wound.  Near 
this  spot,  also,  one  of  the  missionaries,  on  his  first 
residence  in  the  island,  was  attacked  by  two  robbers, 
who,  rushing  from  their  ambush,  discharged  their 
spears  at  him,  but  the  fleetness  of  his  horse  soon 
carried  him  beyond  pursuit.  This  is  the  only  in 
stance  of  violence  offered  to  a  missionary,  since 
their  arrival  in  1820. 
12 


146 


Half  way  to  Wailua  there  is  a  fine  tract  of  land 
which  the  late  governor  selected  as  a  site  for  a  sugar 
plantation,  many  acres  of  which  he  caused  to  be 
planted  with  cane,  and  also  built  a  large  church,  and 
a  house  for  himself.  But  death  soon  terminated  his 
scheme,  and  his  city  that  was  to  be,  still  retains  its 
original  diminutiveness,  while  all  his  improvements, 
like  his  own  body,  are  wasting  away  to  mother 
earth  again.  Since  his  demise,  the  situation  has 
been  used  for  camp-meetings,  at  which  a  large  con 
course  of  natives  assembled,  who  behaved  quite  as 
rationally  as  whiter  field-gatherings  in  other  climes. 
They  erected  a  large  number  of  little  huts  around 
the  church  for  their  temporary  quarters ;  in  appear 
ance  and  size  they  resemble  dog-kennels,  being  not 
over  four  feet  high,  and  allowing  only  of  a  sitting 
posture.  The  little  cove  at  Hanamaulu  was  selected 
by  the  governor  as  a  harbor  for  his  new  emporium, 
entirely  overlooking  the  fact  that  it  opened  directly 
to  the  windward.  By  his  orders,  the  government 
brig  Becket  was  anchored  there ;  the  trades  blowing 
completely  in,  prevented  egress,  as  there  was  not 
sufficient  room  to  beat  out,  and  the  vessel  was  in 
danger  of  being  blown  upon  the  rocks.  Kaikoewa 
immediately  ordered  out  the  population,  en  masse, 
to  make  cordage,  and  the  brig  soon  resembled  a 
spider  entangled  in  its  own  web,  in  which  it  was 
obliged  to  remain  many  weeks. 

One  of  the  most  amusing  traits  of  the  natives, 
particularly  to  strangers,  is  their  fondness  for  display 
ing  their  knowledge,  or  more  correctly  speaking,  their 
e,  of  other  languages.  Little  urchins,  with 


KNOWLEDGE,  DISPLAY    OF.  147 

scarce  years  enough  over  their  heads  to  allow  them 
to  speak  their  mother  tongue,  jump  from  behind 
walls,  or  start  from  their  lurking-places,  where  they 
have  been  patiently  awaiting  the  approaching  traveller, 
and  with  a  most  expressive  grin,  salute  him  in  shrill, 
soprano  notes,  with  a  '  dood  mornin,'  or  '  dood  nite,' 
a  '  bon  jour,'  or  '  bon  soir,'  and  then  run  away  with 
as  much  happiness  expressed  in  their  juvenile  coun 
tenances,  especially  if  the  salutation  is  returned,  as 
if  they  had  received  a  Spanish  real  for  their  pains. 
No  matter  what  is  the  hour  of  the  day  —  the  'dood 
mornin '  is  as  frequently  the  salutation  at  sunset  as 
at  any  other  hour,  and  perhaps  the  first  sound  one 
hears  in  the  morning,  is  '  dood  nite.'  On  ascending 
the  north  side  of  the  valley  of  Hanamaula,  we  noticed 
a  person  far  ahead  who  seemed  to  be  awaiting  our 
approach.  As  we  drew  nearer,  we  made  him  out  a 
tall,  elderly  man,  of  a  venerable  aspect,  unclothed, 
and  maintaining  the  attitude  of  a  marine  upon  duty. 
His  appearance  and  position  excited  our  curiosity 
much,  and  we  determined  to  find  some  explanation 
to  the  phenomenon.  The  statue  of  Memnon  could 
not  have  been  more  fixed  and  silent  than  he  —  was 
the  fellow  mad,  or  had  he  experienced  the  fate  of 
Lot's  wife,  and,  for  manifesting  too  much  curiosity  in 
matters  beyond  his  ken,  been  doomed  to  remain  a 
curiosity  to  his  fellow-sinners,  till  sunshine  or  storm 
should,  in  compassion,  waste  him  away.  There  he 
stood.  Not  a  muscle  moved  —  eyes  fixed,  and 
bright,  but  still  immovable.  At  length  we  came 
opposite  the  apparition  —  a  hollow  sound  fell  upon 
our  ears  — '  Good  morning,  sir,'  '  Good  morning  to 


148  WAILUA    RIVER    AND    VILLAGE. 

you,  my  venerable,'  and  he  turned  upon  his  heel  with 
a  stately  motion,  and  walked  away  Xvith  as  much 
satisfaction  as  if  he  had  relieved  his  mind  from  an 
awful  weight  of  responsibility. 

Wailua  river  is  the  deepest  on  the  island,  having, 
it  is  said,  not  far  from  its  mouth,  upwards  of  twenty 
fathoms  of  water.  A  shallow  bar  separates  it  from 
the  ocean,  and  the  surf  breaks  heavily  upon  it,  and 
causes  the  sands  frequently  to  shift,  forming  quick 
sands  dangerous  to  horse  and  rider,  when  the  ford  is 
attempted  in  that  direction.  During  the  late  war 
between  the  United  States  and  England,  an  Ameri 
can  schooner  was  unladen  and  hauled  over  it,  where, 
concealed  by  the  high  banks  of  the  river,  she  re 
mained  in  safety  from  the  cruiser  in  pursuit.  The 
banks  are  exceedingly  picturesque.  The  river  may, 
with  propriety,  be  considered  a  miniature  Hudson, 
and  no  one  should  pass  it  by,  without  first  ascending 
it  in  a  canoe,  and  feasting  his  eyes  upon  its  varied 
beauties. 

The  village  of  Wailua  is  the  property  of  Kapuli, 
better  known  by  her  baptismal  name,  Deborah.  She 
was  formerly  the  favorite  wife  of  Kaumualii.  the  last 
king  of  the  island.  Her  history  has  been  a  singular 
one,  and,  for  a  widowed  queen,  rather  destructive  of 
sentiment.  After  the  cession  of  Kauai  to  Kame- 
harneha  I,  by  her  husband,  her  influence  over  him 
excited  the  jealousy  of  the  government,  and  he  was 
admonished  to  put  her  away.  This  order  he  had 
sufficient  firmness,  or  fondness,  to  resist.  The  con 
queror  dying  soon  after,  left  his  favorite  spouse,  Kaa- 
humanu,  at  once  supreme  in  authority,  and  incon* 


AN    EX-QUEEN.  149 

solable  for  her  loss.  Bethinking  herself  of  Kau- 
mualii,  who  was  a  well-favored  man,  and  withal 
a  fine  specimen  of  the  gentleman  savage,  possessing 
a  sufficiency  of  physical  greatness,  so  necessary  to  a 
Hawaiian  ruler,  she  at  once,  to  gratify  her  love,  and 
strengthen  her  policy,  ordered  him  to  her  bed  and 
board.  The  twain  were  married  October  9,  1S21. 
Kaumualii's  son,  Kealiiahonui,  the  handsomest 
chief  in  the  kingdom,  was  likewise  compelled  to 
participate  in  this  compulsory  matrimony,  and  father 
and  son,  conjointly,  were  firmly  fixed  in  her  marital 
bonds.  These  relationships  were  common  in  those 
days,  but  happily  became  extinct  a  few  years  after 
ward.  Deborah,  however,  was  provided  with  another 
liege  lord,  who  disappeared  one  day  and  left  her  a 
two-fold  widow.  She  has  always  been  a  friend  to 
foreigners,  and  entertained  them  with  much  hospi 
tality  in  the  days  of  her  prosperity ;  though  of  late, 
in  accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  her 
reduced  circumstances,  she  expects  a  handsome  re 
muneration  for  a  bowl  of  milk,  and  a  mat-bed  well 
stocked  with  fleas,  whose  nimbleness  is  sure  to  relieve 
the  traveller  from  any  fear  of  stiff  limbs  by  morning. 
Deborah's  lot  has  been  a  checkered  one.  Once  a 
petted  queen,  whose  will  was  law,  then  humbled  and 
degraded.  A  warm  friend  both  to  strangers  and 
missionaries,  kind  and  hospitable,  yet  excommuni 
cated  from  the  church  for  the  same  transgression 
which  stole  from  her  arms  a  fond  and  royal  husband, 
she  was  spoiled  of  her  possessions,  and  tyrannized 
over  by  a  government  which  is  indebted  to  her  for 
the  preservation  of  the  island.  For,  to  her  exertions 


150  HISTORY    OF    DEBORAH. 

and  influence  it  was  owing,  that,  during  the  rebellion, 
the  inhabitants  generally  remained  faithful  to  the 
powers  at  Oahu.  Notwithstanding  this  invaluable 
service,  Kaikoewa,  jealous  of  her  popularity,  upon 
a  slight  provocation,  a  few  years  since,  confiscated 
her  property,  and  caused  her  to  be  clandestinely 
seized  and  conveyed  on  board  a  vessel,  which  sailed 
immediately  for  Honolulu.  There  she  remained  for 
some  time  in  poverty  and  disgrace,  supported  by  one 
of  her  faithful  adherents,  until  Mr.  Richards,  interest 
ing  himself  in  her  case,  procured  from  the  king  a 
reversal  of  the  unjust  sentence  of  the  governor  of 
Kauai,  and  restored  to  her  what  remained  of  her 
property. 

Deborah's  houses  are  near  the  river's  side,  and  are 
a  collection  of  very  respectable  thatched  buildings, 
enclosed  by  a  stake  fence.  If  the  visitor  has  the 
good  fortune  to  ingratriate  himself  in  her  favor,  the 
pleasure  of  his  visit  here  will  be  much  enhanced. 
To  us  she  was  particularly  gracious,  and  claimed  me 
for  her  '  son '  at  once,  with  a  promise  to  present  her 
love  to  my  mother,  in  America,  when  I  returned. 
If  any  choice  had  been  allowed  me  in  this  claim 
upon  my  filial  respect,  I  should  have  transferred  the 
honor  to  her  sister-in-law,  a  lady  of  less  years  and 
more  comeliness.  But,  although  Deborah  was  a 
buxom  widow  of  forty  years  and  upwards,  six  feet 
in  height,  of  three  hundred  pounds'  weight,  and  ugly 
to  gaze  upon,  once  she  had  been  slender  and  beauti 
ful.  Besides,  the  substantial  tokens  of  her  regard 
which  she  bestowed  upon  us,  threw  a  veil  over  any 
personal  defects,  and  I  should  be  an  in  grate  to  speak 


A  DISAPPOINTED  SPORTSMAN.          151 

of  her  in  other  than  favorable  terms.  Her  corpulen 
cy  had  of  late  so  increased,  that  she  found  it  difficult 
to  move  about.  While  we  remained  she  furnished 
us  with  excellent  fruit,  vegetables,  and  fish,  served  on 
plates,  and  a  knife  and  fork  apiece.  In  fact,  our  en 
tertainment  was  quite  after  a  civilized  manner,  which 
was  the  more  to  her  praise,  as  it  was  what  she  sel 
dom  indulged  in  herself,  unless,  as  on  the  present  oc 
casion,  she  was  tempted  to  make  a  show.  Good 
milk  and  butter  were  in  abundance.  A  finer  herd  of 
cattle  than  she  owns  I  never  saw ;  they  would  have 
done  credit  to  a  Brighton  cattle-show.  Some  were 
beautiful  creatures,  of  great  size,  and  apparently  of 
the  better  English  breeds,  having  short  horns,  heavy 
and  long  bodies,  and  altogether  different  from  the 
smaller  and  leaner  kind  that  run  wild  in  the  moun 
tains.  In  the  rear  of  her  house  are  some  extensive 
taro  patches  and  fish  ponds,  the  resort  of  wild  fowl. 
Two  species  of  wild  ducks  are  plentiful,  both  of  ex 
quisite  flavor,  without  a  particle  of  the  fishy  taste 
common  to  their  species  where  their  food  is  gathered 
solely  upon  the  borders  of  the  ocean.  One  of  them 
is  small,  with  gray  plumage ;  the  other  is  a  superb 
bird,  and  very  large,  with  wings  and  breast  of  varied 
green  and  white.  Strolling  about  their  haunts  with 
my  gun,  one  of  the  smaller  kind  attracted  my  atten 
tion.  It  was  quietly  feeding  amongst  a  number  of 
small  birds.  Nearer,  was  a  flock  of  the  other, 
close  together,  to  the  number  of  thirty  or  more. 
They  were  the  first  that  I  had  seen,  and  they  appear 
ed  so  regardless  of  my  presence,  that  I  concluded 
they  were  tame,  and  belonged  to  my  worthy  hostess. 


152         CELEBRATED  FALL  OF  WAILUA. 

Not  wishing  to  damage  her  live  stock,  I  crept  by 
them  within  a  rod,  without,  their  manifesting  alarm. 
My  hostile  intentions  being  devoted  exclusively  to 
the  destruction  of  the  solitary  bird  that  had  first 
caught  my  eye,  I  blazed  away ;  the  poor  duck 
turned  upwards  and  kicked  its  last.  Up  rose  the 
large  flock  from  my  feet,  astonished  at  the  noise  and 
smell  of  gunpowder,  and  whizzed  away  with  a  ra 
pidity  which  convinced  me,  alas,  that  they  were 
wild,  and  that  that  would  be  their  last  appearance  on 
those  premises  for  that  day.  A  sportsman  and  a 
duck-loving  stomach,  alone,  can  fully  sympathize 
with  my  disappointment.  As  it  was  the  first,  so  it 
proved  the  last  time,  their  beauty  and  tameness  de 
ceived  me. 

Five  miles  from  Deborah's  residence,  and  up  the 
river,  is  the  celebrated  fall,  which  no  scenery-ex 
plorer  fails  to  visit,  and  to  bestow  the  praise  which 
it  richly  merits.  A  large  double-canoe  was  provid 
ed  for  our  party,  and  the  kind  old  queen  accom 
panied  us  on  our  excursion.  The  paddlers  shot  the 
canoe  rapidly  forward,  chanting  the  while  to  a  tune 
of  olden  time,  and  at  every  chorus  slapping  the  flat 
part  of  their  paddles  in  unison  against  the  sides  of 
the  light  bark,  while,  ever  and  anon,  all,  at  a  signal 
from  the  helmsman,  shifted  their  paddles  to  the  op 
posite  side.  The  echoes,  from  both  blow  and  voice, 
were  powerful,  and  the  effect  of  the  whole  not  un 
musical.  After  proceeding  in  this  manner  for  sev 
eral  miles,  following  the  numerous  turnings  of  the 
river,  which  expanded,  in  places,  to  a  large  and  lim 
pid,  but  deep  stream,  and  at  others  flowed  rapidly 


FALL    OF    WAILUA.  153 

through  mountain  gorges,  we  landed  on  a  cultivated 
spot,  at  the  foot  of  a  steep  hill.  A  little  hamlet  was 
here  embowered  in  a  grove  of  orange  and  other  trees. 
As  the  labor  of  ascending  the  hill  was  one  to  which 
Deborah  was  inadequate,  she  excused  herself  from 
accompanying  us  farther.  The  day  was  hot,  and 
the  place  sheltered  from  the  breeze.  The  hill  looked 
formidable,  but  we  did  not  like  to  return  without  ac 
complishing  the  chief  object  of  the  excursion,  so  we 
puffed  and  panted,  climbed  and  slipped  and  climbed 
again,  assisting  one  another,  until  the  summit  was 
gained. 

A  few  minutes'  walk  brings  one  to  the  fall.  As 
we  approached,  the  noise  of  the  falling  water  became 
louder,  yet  without  indicating,  very  clearly,  its  sit 
uation.  The  plain  is  here  covered  so  high  with  grass, 
and  the  river  so  narrowed  and  concealed  by  its  over 
hanging  and  precipitous  banks,  that  nothing  of  the 
fall  is  seen,  until  one  is  close  upon  it.  Seeing  the 
guide  stop,  a  little  in  advance,  I  sprang  forward,  and 
found  myself  upon  the  brink  of  an  immense  chasm, 
over  one  side  of  which  leaps  the  fall.  The  eye 
sought,  in  vain,  the  bottom  of  the  basin,  which  is 
half  hid  by  the  spray,  arched  by  a  deeply-colored 
rainbow.  The  precipice  over  which  the  water  flows, 
and  immediately  around  it,  forms  rather  more  than 
a  half  circle,  and  is  gradually  wearing  away  by  the 
action  of  the  water.  As  the  distance  from  it  in 
creases,  the  banks  become  more  sloping,  and  admit 
of  descent,  but  not  without  much  care  and  labor. 
Their  sides  are  clothed  with  trees  and  vines,  without 
which  it  would  be  impossible  to  succeed.  They 


154  FALL    OF    WAILUA. 

also  serve  to  hide  the  fall  from  the  sight,  until  the 
bottom  is  reached,  when  it  bursts  upon  the  view 
again  in  all  its  loftiness.  A  few  moments  before, 
the  beautiful  charmed  the  mind,  now  the  grand  over 
awed  it.  Advancing  a  few  rods,  though  with  much 
difficulty,  over  fallen  masses  of  basaltic  rocks,  the 
explorer  finds  himself  enveloped  in  the  spray.  The 
water  foams  and  curls  in  eddies  at  his  feet,  while  the 
half-averted  eye  scarcely  dares  look  at  the  threaten 
ing  height  above.  The  rocks  overhang  the  basin  to 
a  considerable  extent.  On  one  side  the  excavation 
is  as  smooth  as  if  art  had  lent  its  aid  to  the  work, 
while,  on  the  other,  the  loose  stones,  and  deep  cre 
vices,  betoken  an  insecure  foundation.  The  fall 
tumbles  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet.  The  preci 
pices  on  either  side  are  much  higher.  The  depth  of 
the  water  below,  and  the  narrowness  of  the  gulf,  into 
which  the  sun  can  send  his  rays  but  for  a  short  time, 
daily,  heighten  the  beauty  of  the  spectacle. 

After  heavy  rains  the  sheet  of  water  is  much  in 
creased,  and  the  volume  of  the  fall  acquires  a  depth 
of  five  feet,  and  a  breadth  of  fifty.  During  the  dry 
season  it  dwindles  into  a  number  of  diminutive 
streams,  which  follow  the  irregular  surfaces  of  the 
projecting  rock,  through  channels  of  their  own  wear 
ing,  but  finally  unite,  and  form  one  body  before 
reaching  the  basin  beneath.  With  care,  the  visitor 
can  venture  under  the  sheet,  and  he  will  there  find  a 
rare  and  beautiful  neritina  to  reward  him  for  his 
labor. 

Half  a  mile  above  the  fall  is  a  whirlpool,  which  is 
remarkable  for  a  singular  freak  of  a  former  chieftain 


INLANB    SCENERY.  155 

of  the  island.  Desirous  of  immortalizing  himself  by 
some  rude  triumph  over  nature,  he  caused  the  course 
of  the  river  to  be  turned,  and  laid  the  channel  bare  ; 
then  seating  himself,  with  his  followers,  upon  the 
rocks  in  its  bed,  they  drank  deeply  of  awa,  until  hill 
and  dell  echoed  to  the  mirth  of  his  drunken  carousal. 
After  securing  his  immortal  self  from  danger,  and 
his  aw  a  from  dilution,  he  returned  the  river  to  its 
legitimate  channel.  It  is  said,  that  two  natives, 
many  years  since,  leaped  from  the  rocks  overhanging 
the  fall ;  one  reached  the  water  alive  and  sound,  the 
other  was  killed. 

The  landscape,  through  all  this  region,  is  of  the 
most  pleasing  description,  such  as  the  eye  never  tires 
of  lingering  upon.  Far  overtowering  all  other 
heights  rises  Mauna  Waialeale,  from  the  centre  of 
the  island  ;  its  sides  precipitous  in  the  extreme,  yet 
covered  with  dense  forests,  through  which  can  be 
seen  the  occasional  glancing  of  a  silvery  cascade,  as 
it  takes  its  leap  some  thousands  of  feet  into  deep 
gulfs  below.  Other  mountains,  of  somewhat  less 
altitude,  but  equally  verdant  appearance,  with  long 
and  sharp  spurs  running  into  the  plains  beneath,  or 
peaks,  broken,  craggy,  and  tottering,  bound  the  hori 
zon  on  all  sides.  Gently-rising  and  slightly-wooded 
hills  diversify  the  broad  expanse  of  the  plain,  which 
is  without  other  inhabitants  than  scattering  herds  of 
untamed  bullocks.  The  long  grass  is  blown  to  and 
fro  over  it,  by  the  wind,  rising  and  sinking  like  the 
waves  of  the  ocean. 

The  inhabitants  of  the  island  annually  make  pil 
grimages,  during  the  dry  season,  to  the  summit  of 


156  DEGRADATION    OF    WOMEN. 

Maun  a  Waialeale,  in  order  to  catch  a  glimpse  of 
Oahu.  They  report,  that  almost  on  its  top  a  spring 
exists,  which  casts  up  beach  sand,  and  that  coral 
and  sea-shells  are  also  found  about  it.  Wild  hogs 
are  numerous  in  the  neighboring  forests,  and  they 
grow  to  a  great  size.  Of  late  years,  since  the  na 
tives  have  been  allowed  to  keep  dogs,  many  have 
escaped,  and  now  roam  wild  in  packs  like  wolves. 
Neither  goats,  cattle,  or  even  men,  are  safe  from 
their  ravages  ;  and  several  natives,  in  crossing  the 
region  where  they  abound,  have  been  obliged  to  take 
refuge  in  trees.  Yet,  such  is  their  attachment  to 
these  brutes,  they  will  not  allow  them  to  be  killed, 
except  for  food,  and  mourn  over  the  loss  of  one  as 
they  would  for  a  child.  Indeed,  it  is  not  uncommon 
to  see  women  of  the  common  class  suckling  puppies, 
and  neglecting  their  own  offspring,  and  that  without 
the  slightest  shame.  They  feed  them  from  their  own 
mouths,  sleep  with  them,  pick  and  eat  vermin  from 
them,  in  fact,  show  as  much  devotion  to  the  whims 
of  a  filthy  cur,  as  the  most  ardent  lover  to  the  smiles 
of  his  mistress.  In  no  point  does  human  nature 
here  seem  more  degraded,  than  in  the  brutal  attach 
ment  of  the  sex  for  their  dogs.  Their  own  children 
are  made  to  suffer  from  want  of  the  food  which  is 
freely  bestowed  upon  these  animals. 

A  few  miles  beyond  Wailua,  on  the  sea-side,  is  a 
field  of  battle,  and  an  ancient  burial-ground.  By 
bribing  some  adventurous  fellows,  I  succeeded  in 
procuring  several  perfect  crania,  which  were  sent  to 
Boston.  The  strangeness  of  my  taste  in  wishing  to 
procure  the  old  bones  of  their  ancestors,  about  which 


HOSPITALITY. 


157 


they  cared  but  little,  and  knew  less,  occasioned  much 
conjecture  among  the  population,  and  from  that  cir 
cumstance  I  received  the  title  of  '  po  kanaka,'  or  skull 
man,  a  name  by  which  I  was  ever  afterwards  known, 
even  on  other  islands.  These  relic-procurers  were 
bold  enough  in  offering  for  sale,  during  the  day,  the 
fruits  of  their  sacrilegious  searchings,  but  not  one 
could  have  been  induced  to  have  approached  them 
after  sunset.  No  inconsiderable  fear  of  the  dead 
still  prevails  among  them,  especially  by  night,  and  it 
is  a  difficult  matter  to  get  a  native  to  go  out  by  him 
self  after  dark. 

After  leaving  the  regal  residence  of  Deborah,  noth 
ing  of  particular  interest  is  to  be  met  with  on  the 
road,  until  arriving  at  Anahola.  A  number  of  small 
hamlets  line  the  beach,  with  their  usual  quantum  of 
snarling,  barking  quadrupeds,  which  are  always  on 
the  qui  vive  to  welcome  a  stranger  by  their  deafening 
noise,  while  troops  of  naked  children  crowd  around, 
to  gaze  their  fill  upon  the  pale  face.  It  is  in  these 
by-villages  that  some  faint  trace  of  the  primitive  hos 
pitality  of  Hawaii  is  yet  to  be  met  with,  and  the 
traveller  is  still  occasionally  greeted  with  the  inquiry, 
4  Is  your  belly  empty  ? '  Perhaps  this  laudable  cus 
tom  has  not  diminished  as  much  as  expectation  of 
an  ample  remuneration  has  been  raised,  and  in  a 
few  years  as  regular  a  tariff  of  prices  will  be  found 
in  the  grass  hovels  on  this  scarce-trodden  road,  as  in 
the  most  celebrated  cafes  of  Paris. 

Out  upon  him  who  turns  up  his  fastidious  nose  at 
such   delicious  fare  as  pigs,  fowls,   or  dog,   nicely 
baked  with  vegetables,  in  taro  leaves,  and  spread 
14 


158  OFFICES    AND    TITLES. 

upon  the  ground  a  la  kanaka,  and  to  be  ate  a  la 
Turk.  What  if  a  pet  pig,  or  fowl,  provokingly  in 
sists  upon  sharing  dishes  with  you  ?  You  are  all 
upon  a  level;  then  why  complain  ?  Delicious  mel 
ons,  and  a  huge  calabash  of  poi,  into  which  the  na 
tives'  fingers  take  two  or  three  turns,  and  then,  with 
a  back-handed  flourish,  are  conveyed  to  the  mouth 
with  a  rapidity  and  dexterity  that  denes  description, 
complete  the  repast.  If  I  were  called  upon  to  pic 
ture  true  comfort  and  contentment,  it  would  be  a 
kanaka  eating  poi.  It  is  done  with  so  much  real 
gusto,  such  an  upturning  of  the  eye,  smile  of  the 
features,  and  epicurean  smack  of  the  lips,  that  heart 
and  soul  appear  to  participate  in  the  enjoyment. 

The  partial  adaptation  of  New  England  titles  and 
institutions  to  the  wants  of  the  natives,  by  their  re 
ligious  and  secular  teachers,  strikes  one,  at  first, 
somewhat  ludicrously.  Judges,  school-teachers,  and 
other  professional  characters,  are  constantly  met, 
clothed  in  little  better  than  nature's  costume,  their 
diplomas  and  offices  contrasting  strangely  with  their 
personal  appearance.  But  improvement  is  observa 
ble,  even  here  on  the  very  outskirts  of  civilization, 
and  the  dress,  deportment,  and  education  of  these 
dignitaries  are  annually  becoming  more  consonant 
with  their  stations  ;  while,  amongst  their  inferiors, 
clothes  are  not  looked  upon  as  such  objects  of  curi 
osity  as  formerly,  and  kept  to  be  used  only  on  Sun 
days. 

No  one,  who  has  visited  Anahola,  will  forget  an 
old,  white-headed  chief,  who  resides  there.  He  is  a 
veteran  of  the  former  wars,  and  a  favorite  of  the  king, 


A    VETERAN    OF    KAMEH  AM  EH  A.  159 

sent  to  this  retired  valley,  to  sponge  a  subsistence  out 
of  its  wretched  tenants.  Upon  his  old  stock  of 
heathenism,  he  has  engrafted  all  the  outward  traits  of 
Christianity,  and  is  as  regular,  and  as  sincere,  in  his 
daily  devotions,  as  a  Mussulman,  while  avarice  and 
cunning  still  twinkle  in  his  eyes.  Notwithstanding 
this,  he  is  a  fine  old  fellow,  and  exceedingly  kind  to 
travellers,  particularly  if  he  can  make  any  thing  out 
of  them.  Now  this  fine  old  fellow,  who,  by  the  way, 
always  dresses  well,  is  as  studious  of  his  ease,  as  a 
gouty  alderman.  Few  can  boast  of  ever  having 
seen  him  but  in  two  situations ;  one,  sitting  in  an 
arm-chair,  grown  venerable  in  the  service,  in  front 
of  his  house,  in  the  most  profound  absence  of  all 
thought,  with  a  menial,  shading  by  an  umbrella  his 
grey  locks  from  the  rays  of  the  sun ;  this  position  he 
retains  for  hours,  or  more  properly  for  months,  with 
all  the  perseverance  of  a  Hindoo  devotee ;  for  he 
varies  it  only  by  retiring  to  his  house,  where,  reclin 
ing  upon  mats,  he  either  sleeps,  or  submits  his  body 
to  the  manipulation  of  two  aged  women,  who,  from 
long  experience,  are  as  skilful  at  '  lomi-lomi9  as  any 
to  be  found  in  the  group.  Occasionally,  he  directs 
their  attention  to  his  visitors  ;  and  if  the  traveller,  who 
consigns  himself  to  their  hands,  is  not  fain  to  cry 
out,  'blessed  be  he  that  invented  the  "  lorni-lorni"1' ','  his 
body  must  be  formed  of  sterner  stuff  than  mere 
bones  and  muscles.  However  wearied  he  may  be, 
fatigue  soon  leaves  him ;  each  muscle  is  kneaded, 
each  joint  cracked,  and  the  whole  corporation 
thumped,  pounded,  and  squeezed,  until  every  old 
ache  and  chafe  is  fairly  driven  out  of  it.  A  series 


160  A  DANGEROUS  FORD. 

of  less  violent  knead  ings  succeeds  this,  and  sleep, 
most  delicious  sleep,  succeeds  all ;  and,  in  an  hour's 
time,  he  is  ready  to  cry  out,  '  to  horse  again.' 

Bidding  'aloha'  to  this  Prince  of  Laziness,  two 
hours'  ride  brings  us  to  the  Kukui  grove,  a  noble  col 
lection  of  trees,  extending  for  some  miles  into  the 
interior;  a  fit  temple  for  Druidical  rites,  but  now  oc 
cupied  for  Christian  worship.  In  line  weather,  the 
inhabitants  assemble  under  the  shade  of  the  stateliest 
of  these  forest  monarchs,  the  branches  of  one  of 
which,  by  some  curious  freak  of  nature,  have  twisted 
themselves  into  a  very  respectable  kind  of  pulpit, 
about  ten  feet  high,  from  whence  the  missionary,  in 
this  church  of  God's  own  building,  discourses  of  his 
love,  mercy,  and  justice. 

The  roads,  from  this  place  to  Waioli,  are  much 
broken  up  by  deep  ravines,  and  rugged,  though  fer 
tile  valleys,  through  which  rapid  streams  find  their 
way  to  the  ocean.  These,  when  swollen  by  rains, 
are  difficult  to  cross,  especially  when  the  bridges  are 
carried  away,  or  made  impassable.  The  night  pre 
vious  to  the  arrival  of  our  party  at  the  banks  of  the 
most  formidable,  a  heavy  rain  had  fallen,  and  the 
stream  was  very  deep.  At  the  ordinary  ford,  the 
large  rocks  formed  dangerous  rapids,  and,  immedi 
ately  beneath  them,  the  river  precipitated  itself  over 
a  fall  of  twenty  feet,  into  a  rocky  basin  beneath. 
Thence,  the  rapids  became  more  furious,  rushing  and 
foaming  on,  until  they  leaped  another  and  higher 
rock,  and  found  a  deeper  and  more  quiet  course,  be 
low.  The  noise  of  the  water,  rushing  with  great 
velocity  through  the  rapids,  joined  with  the  roar  of 


ROADS    TO    WAIOLI.  161 

the  two  cataracts,  startled  both  horse  and  rider.  Not 
wishing  to  retrace  our  steps,  we  set  our  wits  at  work, 
to  devise  means  of  crossing.  The  horses  were  taken 
up  some  way  above  the  rapids,  where  the  river  was 
deep,  and  flowed  more  smoothly.  By  dint  of  blows 
and  coaxing,  they  were  forced  to  plunge  from  the 
bank ;  and,  at  the  first  leap,  they  disappeared  under 
the  water;  but,  ropes  being  attached  to  them,  they 
swam  safely  across.  The  males  of  our  party  fol 
lowed  their  example,  after  overcoming  the  chief  dif 
ficulty,  which  was,  to  get  a  lady  and  her  infant  over. 
No  canoe  was  to  be  had.  Finally,  the  natives,  by 
advancing,  with  the  greatest  caution,  to  the  edge  of 
the  rapids,  and,  planting  themselves  firmly  in  the 
most  shallow  places,  sometimes  three  on  one  spot,  to 
balance  each  other,  —  for  a  single  misstep  would 
have  plunged  them  where  even  the  skill  of  a  Ha 
waiian  in  the  water  might  have  failed  him,  —  were 
able  to  form  a  line  across ;  and  the  infant  was  passed 
fro,m  one  to  another,  until  he  arrived  in  safety  on  the 
opposite  shore.  The  agonized  countenance,  and  but 
half-suppressed  shriek  of  the  mother,  in  watching  its 
progress,  lold,  plainly,  her  sense  of  the  danger.  The 
child  over,  and  all  fear  for  herself  vanished.  A  hol 
low  log  was  found,  in  which  she  placed  herself,  her 
feet  in  the  water ;  and,  by  the  assistance  of  five  na 
tives,  in  part  by  wading,  and  part  by  swimming,  she 
was  borne  across.  In  fording  the  rivers,  near  their 
mouths,  it  is  not  uncommon  for  a  horse  to  get  en 
tangled  in  a  quicksand,  and  leave  his  rider  no  other 
alternative  than  a  plunge  into  the  stream,  while  his 
horse  must  either  flounder  through,  or  be  pried  out. 
14* 


162  A    LABOR    OF    LOVE. KALIHIWAI. 

The  most  direct  road  to  Waioli,  the  inland  route, 
is  the  fruit  of  the  labors  of  people  residing  at  the  Ku- 
kui  grove.  The  missionary,  under  whose  pastoral 
charge  they  are  placed,  is  in  the  habit  of  visiting 
them,  once  a  week,  for  the  purposes  of  religious  in 
struction  and  services.  Sundays,  he  is  confined  to 
the  more  populous  village  of  Waioli,  where  he  re 
sides.  The  ride  thence  is  twelve  miles,  and  by  the 
old  road  difficult  and  wearisome,  and  in  wet  weather 
dangerous.  Notwithstanding  these  visits  were  on 
their  working-days,  the  inhabitants  cheerfully  assem 
bled,  before  the  hour  of  his  arrival,  dressed  in  their 
best  attire,  and  awaited  his  coming.  But  the  diffi 
culties  attending  this  hard  ride,  and  the  regular  per 
formance  of  the  duty,  proved  too  much  for  his  health, 
and  he  was  compelled  to  notify  his  congregation 
that,  unless  the  road  was  improved,  he  should  be 
obliged  to  relinquish  his  visits.  At  this  news,  the 
whole  people  turned  out,  spade  and  hatchet  in  hand, 
and,  in  a  short  time,  made  a  new  and  shorter  road, 
by  which  the  chief  difficulties  of  the  old  were  avoided. 
This  is  but  one  instance  of  the  regard  generally  en 
tertained,  by  the  natives,  for  their  religious  instructors. 

Kalihiwai,  six  miles  from  Waioli,  is  famed  for  the 
beauty  of  its  banks,  and  the  number  of  cascades 
which  adorn  them.  It  is  commonly  known  as  'the 
valley  of  cascades.'  The  country  between  the  two, 
is  a  fine,  rolling  upland,  covered  with  a  forest  of  hala 
trees,  which  afford  an  inexhaustible  supply  of  leaves 
for  thatching  houses,  and  for  making  mats.  This 
tree  is  one  of  the  most  useful  the  island  affords.  Its 
tough  wood  furnishes  strong  handles  for  garden  tools; 


HAL  A    FORESTS. WAIOLI.  163 

its  leaves  shingle  houses,  supply  carpets,  and  beds; 
and  its  yellow  fruit,  notwithstanding  its  peculiarly 
unpleasant  flavor,  is  good  for  food,  when  nothing 
better  can  be  found,  and  also  for  what  the  natives 
value  far  more,  necklaces,  with  which,  from  the  poor 
est  to  the  richest,  they  all  adorn  themselves.  The 
trees  are  somewhat  similar  to  the  banian  ;  for,  when 
they  find  their  tops  too  heavy  for  their  roots,  they 
send  out  supports  from  the  lower  branches,  which, 
reaching  the  ground,  answer  the  purpose  of  an  addi 
tional  brace. 

The  valley  of  Waioli,  or,  as  it  is  usually  called, 
Hanalei,  from  the  river  that  runs  through  it,  is  one  of 
the  finest,  as  well  as  most  picturesque,  on  the  islands. 
It  is  small,  at  its  mouth  being  but  a  mile  in  breadth, 
gradually  narrowing,  until,  at  the  distance  of  five 
miles  inland,  its  width  is  measured  by  that  of  the 
stream,  which  is  there  bordered  on  either  side  by 
lofty  mountains.  The  river  is  a  fine,  wide  stream, 
navigable  for  boats  for  several  miles.  The  soil,  on 
either  side,  is  of  excellent  quality,  though  mostly  low 
and  wet,  except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  its 
banks.  The  debris,  washed  by  the  frequent  rains 
from  the  neighboring  hills,  preserves  its  richness, 
which,  with  its  sheltered  situation  from  winds,  and 
its  even  and  pleasant  temperature,  render  it  one  of 
the  most  valuable  agricultural  districts  in  the  group. 
The  bay,  which  faces  to  the  northwest,  and  is  ex 
posed  to  that  quarter,  is  sufficiently  sheltered  by  a 
projecting  reef,  for  vessels  to  ride  at  their  anchors  in 
safety,  during  most  months  of  the  year,  while  the 
river  affords  a  cheap  and  safe  mode  of  transportation 


164       RESIDENTS. AGRICULTURAL  OPERATIONS. 

for  goods,  to  those  who  reside  on  its  banks.  The 
mountains  on  the  west  rise  to  the  height  of  five  thou 
sand  feet,  and  are  covered  with  dense  forests  of  trees? 
which  afford  valuable  timber. 

A  clergyman  and  teacher  of  the  American  mis 
sion,  with  their  families,  reside  here,  and  several  for 
eigners,  one  of  whom  has  an  extensive  dairy,  and 
manufactures,  yearly,  a  large  quantity  of  butter  for 
the  Honolulu  market.  But  that  which  promises  to 
be  of  most  interest  here,  and  to  afford  a  valuable 
branch  of  industry  for  the  native  population,  is  a  silk 
plantation,  now  in  a  most  flourishing  condition. 
Four  years  since,  Mr.  C.  Titcomb,  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States,  procured  a  lease  of  land  from  the 
king,  about  a  mile  from  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and 
extending  for  some  distance  along  its  banks,  and 
running  back  to  the  mountains,  embracing  a  variety 
of  soil,  from  moist,  swampy  land,  to  that  which  was 
comparatively  dry.  The  whole  of  it  is  covered  with 
a  rich  vegetable  mould,  about  a  foot  deep,  near  the 
river,  and  on  a  sand  foundation,  while,  inland,  it  is 
more  boggy,  and  suitable  for  taro,  though  it  can  be 
easily  drained,  and  adapted  to  any  other  purpose. 
At  the  foot  of  the  hills  which  form  its  western  boun 
dary,  is  a  most  admirable  situation  for  coffee,  which 
the  proprietor  has  turned  to  good  account.  But  his 
principal  attention  has  been  devoted  to  silk.  Thus 
far,  he  has  been  successful  in  producing  it  of  excel 
lent  quality.  The  quantity  will  soon  be  sufficient  to 
make  it  a  valuable  export.  His  trees  are  of  several 
varieties,  the  white,  black,  Canton,  and  Morus  Mul- 
ticaulis,  all  of  which  thrive  well,  and  appear  to  be 


SILK    PLANTATION.  165 

equally  good  for  the  worms.  He  has  but  twenty-five 
acres  planted,  which  afford  more  food,  already,  than 
he  requires  for  his  present  operations.  This  is  owing 
to  the  peculiar  richness  of  the  soil,  which  produces 
in  the  greatest  luxuriance  and  rapidity.  Indeed, 
without  witnessing,  for  one's  self,  the  rapid  develop 
ment  of  vegetation  here,  it  would  almost  stagger  be 
lief.  By  repeated  measurements,  it  has  been  found, 
that  the  mulberry  shoots  grow  upwards  of  an  inch 
per  day,  and  thousands  at  the  rate  of  four  feet  a 
month.  The  first  in  a  row,  and  which  was  by  no 
means  the  largest,  I  had  the  curiosity  to  have  cut 
down  and  weighed.  This  was  three  months,  lack 
ing  a  day,  after  a  previous  cutting.  Its  height  then 
exceeded  twelve  feet;  its  leaves  weighed  eight  pounds 
and  three  quarters ;  and  the  new  wood,  eleven-  and 
three  quarters.  This  tree  was  but  a  common  speci 
men,  and  many  might  have  been  selected,  of  supe 
rior  height  and  weight.  They  are  planted  very  close 
in  rows,  so  as  to  form  thick-set  hedges  about  six  feet 
apart.  Simply  plucking  the  leaves,  was  found  to 
injure  the  trees ;  and  the  plan  was  adopted,  of  cut 
ting  them  down  to  the  ground  by  rows,  and  carrying 
the  branches  into  the  cocoonery,  where  they  could 
be  stripped  by  whipping  them  through  the  hand  ;  a 
process  which  saves  much  labor,  and  affects  the  trees 
favorably.  In  two  or  three  months,  the  old  roots 
throw  out  shoots  of  sufficient  height  to  undergo  the 
same  operation.  It  has  been  found  best,  in  order  to 
preserve  the  leaves  green  and  tender,  to  cut  down  the 
trees  once  in  three  or  four  months.  If  they  are  al 
lowed  to  remain  longer,  their  growth  is  checked,  and 


166  SILK    PLANTATION. 

the  leaves  become  hard  and  dry,  and  less  suitable  for 
the  worm.  This  rapid  growth  may  be  thought  to 
exhaust  the  soil.  No  doubt  it  will,  eventually,  al 
though  as  yet  no  signs  of  diminishing  productive 
ness  have  occurred,  though  some  trees  have  been  cut 
down  for  the  tenth  time.  These  are  now  in  as  flour 
ishing  state  as  any  of  the  others.  Besides,  the  co 
cooneries  afford  supplies  of  manure,  from  their  litter, 
of  which  a  great  quantity  is  collected  monthly.  The 
adjacent  swamps,  also,  will  furnish  vast  supplies  of 
the  necessary  article,  when  it  is  required  ;  and  even 
should  these  fail,  so  little  land  is  needed  for  the  rais 
ing  of  the  mulberry,  the  proprietor  would  have  but 
to  turn  up  fresh  sods  with  the  hoe,  for  no  plough  is 
required,  and  plant  new  slips,  which,  in  nine  months' 
time,  would  afford  the  requisite  supply,  while  the 
exhausted  land  could  remain  idle,  and  be  recovering 
from  its  depletion.  Other  trees  and  vegetables  grow 
with  like  rapidity  here.  Orange  trees  are  weighed 
down  to  the  ground  by  the  abundance  of  their  fruit, 
and  the  coffee-shrub  has  commenced  bearing  the 
second  year.  The  climate  is  damp,  and  much  rain 
falls  during  the  year.  This,  it  was  thought,  would 
prove  detrimental  to  the  worms  ;  but  one  crop  has 
been  fed  through  a  particularly  wet  month,  and  has 
done  as  well  as  any  of  the  others.  The  leaves  are 
plucked,  the  day  before  they  are  required,  and  de 
posited  in  a  drying  house.  By  the  succeeding 
morning,  they  are  fit  to  feed  with. 

The  variety  of  worm  raised  is  the  cross-breed, 
between  the  American  variety  and  the  small  Chinese 
white  and  yellow.  They  form  a  fine,  firm  cocoon, 


SILK    PLANTATION.  167 

which  averages  between  five  and  six  thousand  to 
the  pound  of  reeled  silk.  A  singular  fact  connected 
with  them  is  this.  The  cross  between  the  Chinese 
and  the  American,  produce  cocoons  of  a  pale  straw 
color,  and  others  of  a  dark  orange,  both  of  a  beau 
tiful  lustre.  But  the  eggs  of  one  color  is  as  likely 
to  produce  cocoons  of  the  other  variety  as  its  own, 
so  that  no  dependence  can  be  placed  upon  securing 
either  color,  by  preserving  cocoons  of  the  desired 
hue  for  seed.  The  silk  reeled  is  particularly  fine 
and  valuable,  and  of  an  even,  delicate  thread.  That 
which  is  reeled  before  the  worms  are  stifled,  has  the 
best  lustre.  Those  which  cannot  be  reeled  in  season 
for  this  purpose,  are  stifled  by  steam.  Thatched 
houses,  erected  at.  a  small  expense,  with  mat  hurdles, 
are  found  to  be  all  that  is  necessary  to  preserve 
the  worms  healthy,  while  the  tops  of  broom  com 
answer  every  purpose  for  them  to  form  their  cocoons 
upon ;  thus  saving  much  expense  for  machinery  and 
lumber,  which  is  used  in  colder  climates.  The  pro 
prietor  has  land  sufficient  to  feed  millions  monthly, 
but  at  present  he  can  accommodate  but  from  three 
to  five  hundred  thousand  at  a  time.  When  his 
present  arrangements  are  completed,  he  will  have  a 
constant  succession  of  heavy  crops ;  eggs  hatching, 
and  worms  winding  up,  the  same  day,  and  thus  be 
able  to  keep  his  reelers  in  constant  practice.  During 
the  months  of  January,  February,  and  March,  but 
little  feeding  will  be  done.  The  trees  then  undergo 
a  kind  of  winter.  This  time,  however,  is  made 
profitable  on  the  plantation  in  other  ways. 

This  business  requires  great  care  and  perseverance, 


168  STLK    PLANTATION. 

and  constant  attention,  night,  and  day.  Yet  it  is  of 
a  simple  nature,  and  the  requisite  experience  is  easily 
acquired.  The  greatest  economy  must  be  used, 
especially  in  avoiding  waste  of  material  in  reeling. 
Mr.  Titcomb  entered  upon  the  business  a  few  years 
since,  an  entire  stranger  to  its  details,  but  has  now 
acquired  sufficient  information  and  experience  to 
conduct  an  extensive  plantation,  simply  by  strict 
attention  to  his  business,  and  by  letting  no  fact, 
however  apparently  trivial  and  unimportant,  in  re 
gard  to  the  trees  or  worms,  escape  him. 

His  reelers  were  instructed  by  himself;  he  first 
learning  to  reel  from  instructions  gathered  from  a 
book.  They  now,  for  fineness  of  work,  can  success 
fully  compete  with  foreign  reelers ;  and  the  best  of 
them  will  turn  out,  when  watched,  nearly  a  pound 
each  per  day.  When  left  to  themselves  they  are 
not  so  active,  yet  still  average  a  very  respectable 
quantity.  Both  those  who  turn  the  wheels  and 
those  who  attend  the  pans  are  instructed,  and  made 
responsible  for  the  goodness  of  the  silk;  a  much 
better  plan,  and  more  likely  to  produce  a  good  arti 
cle,  than  when  the  wheel,  for  the  sake  of  economy, 
is  left  to  a  boy.  The  men  are  found  to  reel  equally 
as  well  as  the  women.  Before  they  are  instructed 
they  are  bound  to  remain  in  the  employ  of  the  pro 
prietor  two  years,  receiving  regular  wages  during 
that  time.  His  Majesty,  during  a  visit  to  this  place, 
professed  himself  much  interested  in  the  success  of 
this  business ;  and  twice,  in  public  addresses  to  his 
officers,  charged  them  to  see  that  no  obstacle  was 
thrown  into  the  way  of  Mr.  Titcomb,  as  had  hereto^ 


A    CHRONOLOGICAL    WOOD    PILE.  169 

fore  been  done;  and  that,  as  it  was  necessary  for 
work  to  be  done  on  the  Sabbath,  in  feeding  worms, 
the  judges  must  not  trouble  those  who  were  so  em 
ployed  ;  he  also  advised  his  people  to  seek  employ 
ment  in  this  business,  and  by  way  of  letting  exam 
ple,  turned  a  reel  himself  for  a  short  time.  Since 
that  period,  the  desire  of  the  natives  to  work  on  the 
plantation  is  great,  and  Mr.  Titcomb  already  gives 
employment  to  fifty  people  of  both  sexes,  which 
number  will  be  increased  as  his  operations  are  en 
larged.  The  good  effects  of  this  industry  is  already 
obvious,  in  the  better  appearance  of  the  natives.  A 
short  time  since,  scarcely  any  could  boast  of  cloth 
ing:  now  there  are  few  but  have  some,  and  many 
dress  very  respectably. 

An  intelligent  Frenchman  has  more  recently  estab 
lished  a  sugar  plantation  at  this  place.  The  sugar 
manufactured  is  of  excellent  quality.  Along  the  beach 
are  the  remains  of  an  enormous  pile  of  fire-wood, 
gathered  by  the  strength  of  the  whole  island,  in  the 
days  of  despotic  taxation.  It  now  serves  as  a  kind 
of  calendar  to  the  juvenile  inhabitants,  to  calculate 
their  ages  by ;  dating  from  the  time  of  its  gathering. 
It  is  difficult  to  ascertain  the  age  of  a  common  na 
tive.  The  only  judgment  he  can  form  about  it,  is, 
that  he  was  BO  large  when  such  a  building  was 
erected,  or  such  a  chief  died. 

15 


•      CHAPTER  V. 

Island  of  Maui.  —  Its  Capital.  —  Seat  of  Government. —  Palace. — 
His  Majesty,  Kamehameha  III.  —  His  Spouse. —  Products  of 
Maui.  — '  House  of  the  Sun.'  —  Female  Seminary  at  Wailuku. — 
High  School  at  Lahainaluna.  —  Native  Historical  Society.  —  Re 
flective  and  Perceptive  Powers  of  the  Hawaiians. —  Influence  of 
the  American  Missionaries  over  the  Common  People.  —  Discre 
pant  Statements  of  Travellers. —  Causes  of.  —  State  of  Religion, 
as  compared  with  the  United  States — Statistics.-^  Actual  Con 
dition. —  Death  Scenes. —  Comparison  of  the  Relative  Influence 
of  Spanish  Padres  and  American  Missionaries,  over  their  Con 
verts. —  Different  Phases  of  National  Character.  —  Admitting  to 
the  Church.  —  Moral  Sentiments. —  Actual  Recognition  of. — 
Truth  and  Falsehood. —  Criminal  Statistics.  —  Style  of  Living 
among  American  Missionaries.  — Their  Houses,  Cost.  &c. — 
Their  Advantages  and  Disadvantages. —  Enemies  and  Friends. — 
Objectionable  Biography. —  Privations  of  the  Earlier  Missiona 
ries. —  Qualifications  for  a  Missionary.  —  Examples.  —  Their 
Hospitalities.  —  Labors  for  the  Literary  and  Commercial  World. 
—  Faults. —  Hostility  to  Roman  Catholics.  —  Extent.  —  Anec 
dotes. —  Discontinuing  Connection  with  the  American  Board.— 
Independent  Missionaries.  —  Tendency  of  the  Present  Times. — 
111  Health  of  Females. —  Causes  and  Remedy. 

MAUI,  which,  next  to  Oahu,  is  the  second  island 
in  commercial  importance,  has  a  superficial  area  of 
six  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  Its  shape  is  singular, 
resembling  the  head  and  bust  of  a  human  figure ; 
the  outline  of  the  face  being  quite  accurately  defined. 
Lahaina  is  the  capital  of  the  island  and  the  kingdom, 
having  been  selected  by  the  present  monarch  for  his 
seat  of  government.  For  whalemen  it  is  a  most 


SEAT    OF    GOVERNMENT.  171 

desirable  haven ;  and  on  account  of  the  goodness  of 
the  anchorage,  abundance  and  cheapness  of  supplies, 
and  good  order  ashore,  it  is  more  frequented  by 
American  shipping  than  any  other  island  port  in  the 
Pacific.  From  thirty  to  sixty  whale  ships  annually 
touch  here.  On  the  Sabbath  their  crews  have  the 
privilege  of  attending  divine  worship.  A  tolerable 
reading-room  is  also  at  their  disposal. 

His  Majesty,  it  is  said,  selected  this  town  for  his 
residence,  that  he  might  be  more  apart  from  the 
influence  of  foreigners,  and  more  among  his  own 
chiefs :  a  laudable  motive,  the  good  effects  of  which 
have  already  been  made  apparent,  in  a  more  whole 
some  legislation,  and  the  shaking  off  of  a  certain 
degree  of  familiar  intercourse,  forced  upon  him  by 
demoralized  whites.  Lahaina  contains  a  popula 
tion  of  three  thousand.  Its  situation  is  bad,  being 
at  the  foot  of  a  lofty  range  of  dusty  and  barren  hills, 
which  pour  down  upon  the  town  clouds  of  fine  red 
dust,  which  colors  and  penetrates  every  thing.  How 
ever,  the  sources  of  water  are  abundant,  and  the 
redness  of  the  mud-built  houses  and  dusty  streets  is 
greatly  relieved  by  numerous  taro  patches  and  little 
gardens,  interspersed  through  the  town.  A  noble 
grove  of  cocoa-nut  trees  lines  the  beach.  A  fort 
similar  to  that  of  Honolulu  faces  the  harbor,  and 
also  commands  the  town.  The  church  is  one  of  the 
earliest  as  well  as  best  buildings  erected  for  divine 
worship  in  the  group.  The  chiefs  generally  have 
very  comfortable  and  well-furnished  houses.  The 
palace  of  the  king  is  a  large  two  story  stone  build 
ing,  with  a  piazza  running  completely  round  it. 


172  KAMEHAMEHA    III. 

When  completed  according  to  the  original  plan,  it 
will  be  a  handsome  edifice.  The  rooms  are  large, 
though  yet  unfurnished.  Portraits  of  Liholiho  and 
Karnamalu,  taken  in  England,  and  of  Marshall 
Blutcher,  and  Frederick  William,  of  Prussia,  present 
ed  by  that  sovereign,  adorn  the  walls.  But  King  Kaui- 
keouli  seldom  makes  use  of  this  building,  except  for 
state  purposes ;  such  as  the  assembling  of  his  coun 
cil,  parliament,  reception  of  foreign  officers,  &c.  He 
prefers  to  sleep  in  a  small  but  neatly  thatched  house, 
retired  from  the  street.  He  usually  lives  in  very 
good  style ;  sentinels  are  stationed  about  the  grounds 
and  yards,  and  yearly  more  etiquette  is  exacted,  both 
from  foreigners  and  his  own  subjects.  Some  of  his 
favorite  young  chiefs  are  always  in  attendance ;  they 
are  well  dressed,  gentlemanly  men.  John  Young  and 
Haalilio,  his  intimates,  are  of  fine  figures.  He  lives 
well;  his  table  being  served  by  foreign  cooks  as  well 
as  native.  Of  late,  he  has  given  up  the  use  of  both 
wines  and  liquors,  and  become  a  perfectly  temperate 
man  ;  an  example  which  has  been  followed  by 
nearly  all  his  court,  which  is  now  as  remarkable  for 
its  sobriety  as  it  once  was  for  its  drunken  banquet- 
ings.  This  is  the  more  to  the  credit  of  his  Majesty, 
for  his  taste  for  strong  drink,  into  which  he  was 
seduced  when  a  mere  boy  by  vicious  whites,  is 
tantamount  to  a  passion.  In  boxing,  bowling,  bil 
liard-playing,  horsemanship,  and  other  manly  exer 
cises,  he  is  an  adept ;  though  greater  attention  to  the 
duties  of  his  situation  than  formerly  prevents  him 
from  the  frequent  indulgence  that  was  his  wont, 
when  in  the  heyday  of  youthful  dissipation.  He  is 


KAMEHAMEHA    III.  173 

now  twenty-seven  years  of  age,  and  is  becoming, 
like  all  his  race,  portly ;  his  complexion  is  dark,  and 
face  full,  but  intelligent,  without  the  expression  of 
savage  hauteur  and  determination,  which  character 
izes  many  other  chiefs.  He  is  amiable  to  a  fault, 
but  unfortunately  possesses  neither  the  firmness  nor 
knowledge  to  contend  successfully  with  the  wiles 
and  violence  of  unprincipled  foreign  officials.  Still, 
his  acquaintance  with  the  history  of  the  world,  and 
its  general  condition,  is  very  respectable ;  and  his 
improvement  has  been  rapid.  To  his  subjects,  he  is 
a  kind  and  patriotic  sovereign,  and  is  much  beloved. 
To  foreigners,  he  is  hospitable,  and  disposed  to  be 
confiding.  He  is  a  good  man,  without  being  a 
remarkable  one;  and  wise,  without  being  great. 
Entirely  adequate  to  the  management  of  the  domes 
tic  relations  of  his  kingdom,  but  failing  in  dignity 
and  self-possession,  when  subjected  to  the  lawless 
attacks  of  foreign  war-ships.  He  can  converse  in 
English  fluently,  though  reluctant  to  do  so.  By 
foreigners  he  is  familiarly  addressed  as  '  king.'  Of 
a  vessel,  he  is  passionately  fond ;  and  a  few  years 
since,  his  navy  was  quite  respectable,  consisting  of 
a  fine  bark  of  fourteen  guns,  a  brig,  and  several 
schooners.  He  possesses  now  but  a  few  small 
schooners,  the  brig  being  wrecked,  and  the  bark 
proving  too  expensive  for  his  exhausted  treasury. 
His  observation  is  keen,  and  memory  retentive. 
When  but  a  young  lad,  he  visited  the  Potomac  frigate, 
Commodore  Downes,  then  lying  off  Honolulu.  Sev 
en  years  later,  in  1839,  he  went  on  board  the  Colum 
bia  frigate,  Commodore  Reed.  While  walking  be- 
15* 


174  PRODUCTS    OF    MAUI. 

tween  decks,  he  observed,  '  this  vessel  has  greater 
height  here  than  the  Potomac.'  '  How  much  do 
they  differ  ?  '  asked  his  companion.  Upon  reflecting 
a  moment,  he  replied,  'two  inches,'  which  was  the 
exact  difference. 

His  Majesty  is  married  to  a  woman  of  minor  rank, 
Koloma  by  name.  She  also  rejoices  in  the  eupho 
nious  appellation  of  Hazelelponi,  a  scriptural  name, 
selected  by  herself,  at  her  baptism.  Her  children,  if 
they  had  lived,  would  not  have  enjoyed  a  higher 
rank  than  her  own,  as  the  blood  of  the  mother  always 
determines  the  degree  of  the  offspring.  The  court 
still  maintains  its  reputation  for  the  size  and  weight 
of  its  individual  members.  Two  exceed  three  hun 
dred  pounds  each.  Paki  is  six  feet  six  inches  tall, 
well  formed,  and  of  Herculean  strength  and  propor 
tions.  Hoapiliwahine,  a  female  chief  recently  de 
ceased,  was  nearly  his  equal  in  height  and  general 
bulk. 

The  agricultural  products  of  Maui  are  already 
considerable.  Several  sugar  mills,  two  of  them  iron, 
are  in  operation  at  Wailuku,  turning  out  from  one 
to  two  hundred  tons  of  sugar  and  molasses  yearly. 
The  best  of  these  mills  is  owned  by  the  king,  and 
leased  upon  shares,  to  some  Chinese,  who  manufac 
ture  excellent  loaf  sugar,  and  the  best  of  syrup.  The 
natives  here  own  many  small  plantations,  and  find 
a  ready  market  for  all  their  products,  during  the  ship 
ping  seasons  at  Lahaina.  Maui  possesses  much 
elevated  table-land,  suitable  for  the  productions  of 
the  temperate  zone.  Wheat  grows  wild  and  in 
abundance;  and  nowhere  can  Irish  potatoes  be 


FEMALE     SEMINARY.  175 

raised  cheaper,  and  of  better  quality.  The  highest 
land  in  Maui  is  Maun  a  Haleakala,  '  house  of  the  sun,' 
a  gigantic  terminal  crater,  rising  from  the  centre  of 
East  Maui.  The  ascent  to  its  summit,  ten  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea,  is  gradual  and  easy.  During  the 
winter,  considerable  snow  falls  on  and  about  it. 

There  exists  at  Wailuku  a  female  Boarding  School 
or  Seminary,  under  the  charge  of  a  mission  family, 
and  native  assistants.  It  is  a  most  excellent  institu 
tion.  The  school-rooms  are  in  a  stone  building,  two 
stories  high,  fifty-six  feet  long  by  twenty-four  broad ; 
erected  at  a  cost  of  two  thousand  dollars.  The  pupils 
are  lodged  in  a  row  of  small  adobie  buildings,  each 
constituting  but  one  apartment.  The  pupils  are 
secluded  as  much  as  possible,  from  the  corrupting 
influences  of  the  neighboring  inhabitants,  and  trained 
to  a  civilized  life.  They  are  taught  all  the  common 
branches  of  education,  embracing  history  and  vocal 
music,  and  are  also  studiously  initiated  into  the  several 
departments  of  domestic  industry;  such  as  braiding, 
sewing,  washing,  ironing,  knitting,  spinning  cotton, 
&c.  Their  clothing  is  a  uniform  of  blue  and  white 
cotton.  The  chief  object  of  the  school  is  to  train  a 
class  of  females,  who  shall  make  suitable  wives  for 
the  graduates  of  the  High  School,  who  too  often,  by 
marrying  their  ignorant  and  vicious  country-women, 
have  relapsed  into  their  former  barbarous  habits. 
Thus  far,  this  institution  has  proved  eminently  suc 
cessful,  and  through  its  instrumentality  a  new  order 
of  the  daughters  of  Hawaii  is  growing  up.  The 
annual  expense  incurred  for  the  support  of  each  pupil, 
is  about  twenty  dollars. 


176  HIGH    SCHOOL    AT    LAHAINALUNA. 

The  High  School,  for  boys,  is  situated  at  Lahain- 
aluna,  a  village  two  miles  back  of  Lahaina,  at  an 
elevation  of  one  thousand  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is 
a  healthy,  though  warm  and  barren  spot,  not  furnish 
ing  sufficient  food  even  for  the  scholars.  From  the 
buildings,  an  extensive  view  of  the  town  and  ship 
ping  of  Lahaina,  and  the  islands  of  Lanai  and 
Molokai  is  obtained.  The  school  first  went  into 
operation  in  1831,  under  the  charge  of  the  Rev. 
Lorrin  Andrews.  In  1837,  a  large  stone  two  story 
edifice  was  erected,  consisting  of  a  central  building, 
forty  feet  square,  two  and  a  half  stories  high,  and 
surmounted  by  a  cupola.  The  lower  story  affords 
two  school  rooms,  the  second  a  chapel,  and  the  third, 
forty  feet  by  eighteen,  an  apartment  for  the  library, 
museum,  and  philosophical  apparatus.  A  wing, 
fifty  feet  by  twenty-six,  extends  from  each  side  of 
the  main  building.  Attached  to  the  establishment, 
and  within  the  enclosed  grounds,  are  a  dining-hall, 
cook-house,  store-house,  and  from  thirty  to  forty  small 
thatched  buildings,  neatly  furnished,  —  the  sleeping 
apartments  and  rooms  of  the  pupils.  The  whole 
erected  at  an  expense  of  about  fourteen  thousand 
dollars,  by  the  American  mission.  The  government 
affords  important  aid  to  the  institution,  by  gifts  of 
land  for  the  support  of  the  pupils,  and  otherwise 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  its  success.  A  printing  office 
is  connected  with  it,  and  four  good  dwelling-houses 
have  been  erected,  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
teachers,  who  receive  their  support  from  the  Ameri 
can  Board.  The  number  of  pupils  varies  from  fifty 
to  one  hundred;  their  course  of  instruction  is  for 


HIGH  &CHOOL  AT  LAHAINALUNA.        177 

four  years ;  a  portion  of  their  time  they  are  required 
to  spend  in  manual  labor,  in  order  to  raise  something 
for  their  own  subsistence,  and  to  form  habits  of  sys 
tematic  industry :  also  to  acquire  a  knowledge  of 
agricultural  and  mechanical  implements.  Some,  in 
consequence,  have  become  very  good  artisans,  and 
earn  high  wages,  much  to  the  chagrin  of  foreign 
workmen.  The  food  of  the  scholars  is  chiefly  fish 
and  poi,  with  meat  occasionally,  eaten  at  tables, 
where  they  are  furnished  with  bowls,  spoons,  knives, 
&c.  They  are  required  to  be  neatly  and  uniformly 
clothed.  The  expense  of  each  pupil,  including 
books  and  stationery,  is  about  the  same  as  at  the 
Female  Seminary  at  Wailuku.  In  addition  to  the 
elementary  branches,  they  study  Scripture,  geogra 
phy,  history,  and  chronology ;  also,  church  history, 
elements  of  geometry,  astronomy,  trigonometry,  al 
gebra,  mensuration,  surveying,  navigation,  anatomy, 
&c.  For  mathematical  studies  they  manifest  con 
siderable  aptness ;  and  in  all  departments,  their 
memories  are  very  tenacious,  and  their  progress  good. 
Weekly  exercises  in  composition  are  required,  and 
English  is  taught  to  some  extent.  To  test  their  capac 
ities,  the  dead  languages  were  tried,  and  they  soon 
acquired  some  degree  of  proficiency  in  them.  This 
institution  has  already  supplied  abundance  of  teach 
ers,  well  qualified  for  the  common  schools ;  and  it  is 
designed  eventually  to  educate  the  most  promising 
youth  to  form  a  native  clergy,  and  as  far  as  possible 
to  give  them  a  knowledge  of  medicine,  sufficient  to 
counteract  the  quackery  of  their  own  empirics.  Many 
young  men  who  have  been  educated  here,  have 


178  NATIVE    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY. 

already  attained  important  and  responsible  posts 
under  government,  solely  from  their  acquirements, 
for  their  birth  was  against  them.  In  every  point  of 
view,  has  the  nation  experienced  much  benefit  from 
the  system  of  education  here  pursued. 

Some  of  the  most  intelligent  of  the  graduates 
have  formed  a  historical  society,  for  the  preservation 
of  all  facts,  meles,  traditions,  and  other  matter,  both 
ancient  and  modern,  connected  with  the  history  of 
their  native  land.  At  several  of  their  meetings,  a 
number  of  interesting,  and  to  the  student  of  Poly 
nesian  archeology,  valuable  communications  have 
been  read ;  one  embraced  the  history  of  Umi,  a  king 
of  Maui,  who  reigned  nearly  two  centuries  since. 
The  Rev.  Shelden  Dibble  is  now  engaged  in  putting 
to  press,  at  Lahainaluria,  a  history  of  the  group, 
gathered  chiefly  from  original  sources  among  the 
inhabitants,  which  will  be  both  curious  and  valuable, 
as  giving  their  views  of  affairs,  both  previously  and 
subsequently  to  the  visit  of  Cook.  It  is  not  often 
that  the  lion  sculptures  himself. 

Although  the  Hawaiians  manifest  fair  reasoning 
powers,  yet,  like  all  the  branches  of  the  Malay  family, 
their  perceptive  and  imitative  are  much  more  prom 
inent.  Hence,  their  ready  acquirement  of  the  me 
chanical  arts,  their  fondness  for  mathematics,  and 
the  study  of  facts,  without  reference  to  abstract  inves 
tigation.  Their  proficiency  in  copper  engraving  at 
the  High  School  is  really  remarkable.  Good  maps, 
charts,  and  pictures  are  engraved  every  year,  and 
with  a  considerable  degree  of  improvement  upon 
the  last. 


STATEMENTS    OF    TRAVELLERS.  179 

The  influence  which  has  been  acquired  by  the 
American  missionaries  over  the  whole  people,  has 
by  some  been  made  a  subject  of  complaint;  such 
people  desire  the  seed  to  be  planted  and  the  tree  to 
grow,  but  would  prevent  its  branches  from  leaning 
towards  the  source  of  its  life  and  light.  The  mis 
sionaries  do  possess  a  great  and  important  hold  in 
the  hearts  of  the  people,  and  control  to  a  great  extent 
the  public  mind.  But  it  has  been  honestly  and 
openly  acquired ;  it  is  what  they  were  sent  for.  If 
any  one  doubts  the  love  and  reverence  with  which 
these  men  are  viewed,  by  the  great  majority  of  the 
inhabitants,  let  him  visit  their  households,  and  join 
with  the  missionary  in  his  pastoral  labors  and  excur 
sions.  Smiling  faces  and  genuine  hospitality  will 
everywhere  greet  him  ;  but  more  particularly  within 
the  range  of  their  parochial  districts,  where  years  of 
faithful  and  disinterested  service  have  endeared  the 
populace  to  them.  The  kind  greeting  extended  to 
the  missionary,  is  as  freely  extended  to  the  mission 
ary's  friend.  Often  in  my  wanderings  have  I  had 
plentiful  reason  to  be  thankful,  that  the  missionary 
had  preceded  me;  for  it  is  but  simple  justice  to 
acknowledge,  that  the  hospitality  I  enjoyed,  was 
more  owing  to  respect  for  him,  than  from  a  welcome 
vouchsafed  to  a  stranger,  or  a  desire  for  gain.  To 
be  known  as  a  friend's  friend,  is  a  passport  to  the 
good  graces  of  a  Hawaiian,  whether  a  convert  to 
Christianity  or  a  worshipper  of  the  flesh.  With  both 
the  reception  will  be  cordial,  but  dissimilar.  The 
different  auspices  under  which  the  traveller  visits  the 
cottages  of  the  wayside,  will,  when  compared,  faith- 


180         STATEMENTS  OF  TRAVELLERS. 

fully  account  for  the  many  discordant  statements 
which  have  been  given  so  often  to  the  world.  The 
quarrels  of  these  authors,  and  those  who  uphold  their 
respective  views,  remind  one  of  the  famous  contest 
between  two  knights,  who  coming  by  opposite  roads, 
met  each  other  face  to  face,  under  a  metallic  shield. 
The  one  looking  at  the  side  towards  himself,  ex 
claimed,  '  What  a  beautiful  shield,  and  how  rich  the 
gold  is.'  '  Gold,'  replied  the  other,  '  it  is  silver.' 
4  Silver,  indeed  ;  I  say  it  is  gold,'  was  the  rejoinder ; 
from  angry  words  they  soon  came  to  blows ;  and  in 
a  short  time,  so  furious  was  their  combat,  they  both 
lay  wounded  and  fainting  upon  the  road.  A  com 
passionate  monk  happening  by,  bound  up  their 
wounds ;  as  soon  as  they  were  able  to  speak,  they 
mutually  appealed  to  him  to  confirm  the  truth  of 
their  respective  assertions.  '  Friends,'  said  he,  '  you 
both  are  right  and  both  wrong ;  had  you  looked  on 
each  side  of  the  shield,  you  would  have  seen  that 
one  was  silver  and  the  other  gold.'  Much  the  same 
has  it  been  with  writers  in  regard  to  this  part  of  the 
world.  On  either  position  there  is  some  favorite 
theory  to  support.  It  is  published,  and  correctly 
enough,  as  far  as  it  goes,  that  things  and  people 
were  after  this  manner,  or  that.  They  limit  their 
vision  while  they  generalize  their  deductions.  The 
other  side  of  the  shield  remains  unexamined,  and 
they  content  themselves  with  reiterating  their  state 
ments,  or  contradicting  those  whose  views  differ 
from  their  own.  In  consequence  of  their  partial 
investigations,  a  war  of  words  has  been  engendered, 
and  missionary  and  resident  are  mutually  accused 


MISSIONARIES.  181 

of  exaggeration.  I  shall  offer  no  apology  for  the 
remarks  I  am  about  to  introduce,  upon  the  subject 
of  missionary  labor,  and  its  effect  upon  the  people. 
On  no  other  topic,  since  my  return,  have  I  been  so 
frequently  and  critically  questioned.  Much  that  is 
partisan  has  already  been  given  to  the  public;  and 
that  it  is  partisan  is  the  occasion  of  the  great  mixture 
of  truth  and  error  which  prevails,  on  these  points. 
It  is  natural  and  proper  that  a  deep  interest  should 
be  felt,  in  so  important  a  cause.  The  mission  enter 
prise  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  and  noblest  fea 
tures  of  the  nineteenth  century.  The  attention  of 
the  learned  and  powerful,  as  well  as  the  mass  of  the 
Christian  community,  is  strongly  attracted  towards  it. 
Whether  it  is  for  good  or  evil*  whether  its  present 
system  can  be  improved  or  not ;  whether  the  laborers 
are  faithful  or  faulty;  whether  there  are  adequate 
returns  for  the  sacrifice  of  life,  of  health,  and  domestic 
ties,  and  expenditure  of  treasure ;  all  of  these  are 
fair  subjects  of  investigation.  The  sincere  friend  of 
the  cause  wishes  a  faithful  exposition  of  the  truth, 
conscious  that  its  real  success  will  be  parallel  with 
the  enlightenment  of  the  public  mind.  I  have  no  sect 
to  sustain,  or  sectarian  views  to  gratify.  My  sincere 
desire  is  to  state  facts  and  present  views,  which  are 
valuable  only  so  far  as  they  can  be  sustained  by  the 
former.  In  my  history  of  these  islands,  I  traced  the 
operation  of  the  religious  revolution  which  attended 
the  introduction  of  Christianity  upon  their  civil  and 
political  institutions ;  its  silent  or  active  workings  in 
regenerating  the  nation ;  now  I  have  to  do  with  its 
action  and  consequences,  by  their  family  altars,  their 
16 


182  STATE    OF    RELIGION. 

social  gatherings,  the  manners  of  the  cottage,  and 
the  habits  of  the  day ;  with  the  people,  as  they  actually 
exist  in  1843.  Much  that  lias  been  related  in  the 
previous  chapters  is  intended  to  picture  the  condition 
of  civilization  and  Christianity  as  it  now  is,  among 
them,  and  the  reader  will  not  fail  frequently  to  draw 
his  own  deductions. 

The  query  has  been  put  to  me,  4  How  does  the 
state  of  religion  among  Hawaiians  compare  with 
our  own.'  In  one  sense  the  question  can  be  answer 
ed  most  favorably.  Numerically,  church  members 
bear  a  larger  proportion  throughout  Hawaii  to  non- 
communicants,  than  in  the  United  States  ;  a  greater 
outward  attention  is  exhibited  towards  the  observ 
ance  of  its  ceremonies  than  here  ;  but  it  would  be 
as  incorrect,  from  these  facts,  to  place  their  moral 
and  religious  standard  upon  a  level  with  that  of 
the  American  people,  as  from  the  number  of  com 
mon  schools,  the  pupils  that  attend  them,  and  the 
studies  nominally  pursued  among  the  same  people,  to 
estimate  their  elementary  knowledge,  and  their  sys 
tem  of  education  as  highly  as  our  own.  Yet  statistics 
by  themselves  would  give  that  result,  were  the  actual 
conditions  and  physiological  differences  between  the 
two  races  kept  from  view.  What  were  the  Hawaii 
ans  originally,  and  what  were  the  ancestors  of  the  An 
glo-Saxons  ?  The  one  a  branch  of  the  Malay  family 
of  the  human  race,  the  third  in  point  of  intelligence  ; 
their  chief  characteristics  a  love  of  maritime  adven 
ture,  with  a  brutal  courage  which  looked  upon  death 
with  an  icy  apathy,  because  they  had  but  little  to  en 
joy  below,  and  less  to  hope  for  in  the  future  ;  sensual 


STATE    OF    RELIGION.  183 

beyond  description  ;  lying  and  treacherous  to  friend 
and  foe ;  a  warm,  excitable  imagination,  and  docile 
to  instruction ;  by  turns  a  child  or  adult  in  pleasures 
and  passions  —  weeping  the  one  moment,  the  other 
revelling  with  boisterous  mirth  ;  in  short,  a  creature 
of  base  sentiments,  more  like  a  man  who,  under  the 
influence  of  intoxicating  gas,  acts  out  that  which 
is  uppermost  in  his  nature,  than  a  human  being 
endowed  with  moral  feelings.  Added  to  this,  a 
superstition  skilfully  concocted  and  strongly  sus 
tained  by  the  few  for  the  degradation  and  subser 
vience  of  the  many.  Our  forefathers,  off- shoots  of 
the  noblest  race,  the  Caucasian ;  cruel  heathens, 
but  bold,  free,  and  intelligent;  sacrificing  human 
victims  in  obedience  to  their  priests,  but,  in  domestic 
relations,  chaste  and  affectionate.  If  their  animal 
passions  were  strong  and  conspicuous,  their  virtues 
also  shone  out  brightly,  and  they  proved  themselves 
a  thinking  race.  Christianity  introduced  into  soils 
so  widely  different,  must,  humanly  speaking,  flourish 
in  accordance  with  the  relative  fitness  of  either  for 
its  support  and  increase.  And  it  has  been  so.  In 
England  and  America,  rooting  itself  in  the  superior 
sentiments  and  intelligence  of  the  people,  it  now 
exhibits  itself  in  its  fairest  and  purest  light ;  trans 
ported  to  the  Hawaiian  islands  by  Anglo-Saxon 
minds,  it  is  there  sustained  by  the  strength  it  brought 
with  it.  There  the  institutions,  plans,  and  improve 
ments  are  all  borrowed  from  their  instructors ;  by 
them  and  their  ancestors  they  were  originated  and 
perfected.  The  Anglo-Saxon  race  are  capable  of 
teaching ;  the  Malay  of  being  taught ;  the  one  by 


184  STATE    OF    RELIGION. 

its  own  native  energies  can  conquer  and  rule  the 
world ;  the  very  existence  and  advancement  of  the 
latter  is  dependent  upon  the  forbearance  and  benev 
olence  of  the  former.  Such  are  the  natural  differ 
ences  between  the  two,  and  these  must  be  borne 
in  mind,  if  a  just  opinion  of  the  capacity  of  the 
Hawaiians  for  civilization  and  Christianity  is  to  be 
formed.  They  should  be  judged  by  the  standard 
applicable  to  their  position  in  the  human  family,  and 
not  by  our  own. 

There  is  one  point  which  cannot  be  estimated  by 
finite  intelligence.  Omnipotence  alone  can  count 
the  souls  that  have  here  soared  from  their  beds  of 
disease  and  death  to  a  blissful  hereafter.  The  words 
of  life  dropped  in  season  and  out  of  season,  their 
final  consequences  none  can  tell.  The  poor,  untu 
tored  heathen,  whose  mind  would  fail  to  grasp  the 
boundless  glories  which  eternity  is  ready  to  open  to 
his  view,  would  find  no  difficulty  in  turning  from  an 
idol  of  sense,  the  image  of  despairing  cruelty,  to 
*  Our  Father  who  art  in  Heaven  ; '  the  God  whose 
chiefest  attribute  is  love.  The  death-bed  scenes  of 
a  Kaahumanu,  a  Kapiolani,  and  a  Kinau,  were  such 
as  to  have  confirmed  the  faith  and  brightened  the 
experience  of  the  most  intellectual  of  other  lands  ; 
and  who  shall  tell  how  many  of  humbler  origin  have 
gone  to  their  last  account,  unhonored  and  unknown 
on  earth,  but  registered  as  high  in  heaven.  Only  on 
that  day  that  discloses  all  secrets  will  they  be  revealed. 

There  are  few  persons  of  any  class  at  these 
islands  but  now  appreciate,  in  their  full  force,  the 
causes  of  the  discrepant  statements  before  alluded 


STATE    OF    RELIGION.  185 

to,  though,  unfortunately,  they  are  not  always  ready 
to  acknowledge  them.  The  influence  acquired  by 
the  padres  in  Spanish  American  countries  over  their 
Indian  neophytes,  with  their  hospitality,  have  been 
much  praised  by  travellers.  But  that  which  is  exer 
cised  by  the  American  missionaries  here,  seems  to 
me  to  be  of  a  superior  order.  The  Indians  bow 
submissively  to  the  authority  of  the  church ;  the 
Hawaiian s  yield  voluntary  homage  to  a  friend  ;  the 
one  submits  to  arbitrary  requirements,  as  from  a 
power  from  which  he  can  appeal  no  more  than  from 
Heaven  itself;  the  other  in  his  deeds  of  kindness 
exercises  his  own  judgment  and  inclination.  Often 
have  I  journeyed  with  our  missionaries,  and  wherever 
we  went,  the  regard  manifested  for  them  personally, 
and  the  high  respect  paid  to  their  holy  offices,  un 
claimed  and  unsought  on  their  part,  have  been  to 
me  the  strongest  testimonials  of  a  favorable  public 
sentiment  towards  them.  Houses  were  cleaned  and 
put  in  their  tidiest  array,  the  best  mats  and  tapas 
brought  out  for  their  beds,  and  the  choicest  produc 
tions  of  their  little  plantations  reserved  for  their 
meals,  and  all  this  done  without  expectation  of  rec 
ompense.  From  the  good  will  and  activity  mani 
fested,  it  would  be  unfair  to  judge  it  otherwise  than 
the  result  of  genuine  affection.  Church-members, 
of  course,  take  the  lead  in  doing  honor  to  their 
teachers,  but  an  outward  decorum  prevails  even 
among  the  lowest  orders.  CrowTds  assemble  for  a 
meeting  for  prayer,  or  the  expounding  of  the  gospel. 
To  a  casual  observer,  the  impression  would  be  con 
veyed,  that  he  was  among  a  highly  moral  and 
16* 


186  STATE    OF    RELIGION, 

religious  community.  For  the  time  being,  it  is  so. 
With  some  this  deportment  is  sincere  and  perma 
nent,  but  with  the  mass  it  is  different ;  and  it  is  no 
disparagement  to  the  labors  of  the  missionary  to 
state,  that  a  vast  deal  of  hypocrisy  exists  among  the 
people.  Let  the  visitor  go  over  the  same  road  again, 
but  under  different  circumstances.  If  he  is  desirous 
of  witnessing  the  varied  phases  of  their  national 
character,  let  it  be  known  that  he  is  no  missionary — 
for  all  strangers  are  divided  into  two  classes,  '  mis 
sionary,  and  no  missionary ; '  the  one  being  sup 
posed  to  be  favorable  to  the  former,  the  other  hostile. 
The  disguise  will  then  be  stripped  from  off  many 
who  were  on  the  previous  occasion  playing  the  mis 
sionary.  Indeed,  the  lower  orders  have  a  phrase  in 
respect  to  their  external  decorum  and  inward  desires, 
which  has  become  proverbial,  and  which  will  not 
bear  repeating,  but  is  singularly  expressive  of  their 
actual  feelings.  It  will  be  perceived  that  virtue  is 
more  valued  for  its  good  name  than  as  a  reality  ; 
that  the  dispositions  of  the  mass  are  still  sensual, 
and  that  much  of  the  orderly  and  decorous  conduct 
exhibited  before,  was  the  result  of  a  temporary  re 
straint,  and  a  desire  to  possess  the  good  will  of  their 
superiors.  The  terrors  of  the  law  are  also  much  in 
dread.  The  temptation  to  enter  the  church  is  equally 
great.  All  the  chief  rulers  are  professedly  Christians  ; 
the  high  places  are  filled  by  such;  it  is  one  step 
towards  preferment ;  to  the  native  it  has  the  value  of 
a  caste  ;  it  fixes  him  in  the  eyes  of  his  fellows  ;  con 
sequently  there  is  no  self-denial  an  interested  indi 
vidual  will  not  temporarily  subject  himself  to,  to 


STATE    OF    RELIGION.  187 

attain  the   object  of  his  ambition.     I  have  known 
one,  who  having  failed  by  all  the  customary  arts,  in 
convincing  his  pastor  of   his  fitness  to  join  in  the 
communion,   devise  a  most  ingenious   story  to  ac 
complish  his  purpose.     He  went  to  the  missionary 
to  confess  a  crime  which  he  had  meditated,  the  rec 
ollection   of   which    hung  heavily  upon    him.     He 
said  that  some  time   before  he  had  determined  to 
murder  him,  and  had  actually  approached  his  house 
by  night  with  a  cutlass,  and  had  been  deterred  only 
by  an  unexpected  interruption,  which  caused  him  to 
retreat.     The   story   as   he   related  it,  with    all   the 
attending  circumstances,  was  so   exceedingly  plau 
sible,  and  his  manner  so  sincere  and  contrite,  that 
for  a  while  the  missionary  was  staggered.     But  the 
falsehood  was  soon  discovered,  and  he  did  not  come 
again.     Some  missionaries  rival  the  Roman  Catho 
lic  priesthood  in  their  zeal  for  adding  to  their  church, 
baptizing  by   hundreds,    and    even    by    thousands. 
There  is  but  little  doubt  that,  although  a  majority 
of  the  admitted  natives  do  not  conform  strictly  to 
their  vows,  yet  in  consequence  of  them  they  are  a 
better  people.     They  furnish  a  restraint  which  noth 
ing  else  could  supply.     The  conduct  which  would 
bring  censure  upon  an  American  Christian,  should 
not  upon  a  Hawaiian  ;  their  temperaments,  knowl 
edge,  and  circumstances    are  widely  different,  and 
they  are  not  to  be  balanced  in  the  same  scale.     Of 
him  to  whom  much  is  given,  much  will  be  required. 
Other  missionaries  go  to   the    other  extreme,  and 
maintain  so  severe  a  discipline  that  it  is  seldom  a 
candidate  is  found  qualified  in  their  view.     I  am 


188  STATP;    OF    RELIGION. 

acquainted  with  one  who,  in  the  course  of  six  years' 
preaching  has  admitted  but  a  single  individual  into 
the  church.  His  sense  of  the  duties  of  a  Christian 
is  exceedingly  rigid  ;  but  he  lives  in  daily  exemplifi 
cation  of  it,  and  perhaps  approaches  as  near  to  the 
purity,  holiness,  zeal,  and  meekness  of  the  apostles, 
as  man  is  capable  of. 

A  moral  sentiment,  founded  more  upon  a  classifi 
cation  of  certain  actions  either  as  evil  or  as  good, 
and  their  attendant  punishments  or  rewards,  than 
upon  any  definite  ideas  of  sin  and  virtue  considered 
in  their  relations  to  moral  purity,  and  the  love  of  the 
Father,  pervades  the  nation.  With  the  more  en 
lightened,  a  superior  sentiment  prevails  to  some 
degree.  Consequently,  as  in  older  christianized 
communities,  a  man  enjoys  respect  in  proportion  to 
his  moral  qualifications.  Many,  of  course,  are  to  be 
found  more  fond  of  a  good  name,  than  of  the  means 
necessary  for  its  attainment.  Publicly  they  are  one 
being,  privately  another.  The  very  fact  of  the  ne 
cessity  of  the  deception,  shows  a  great  advancement 
in  moral  sentiment  since  the  days  of  Liholiho,  and 
instead  of  being  considered  a  reproach  to  the  mis 
sionaries,  should  be  hailed  as  a  favorable  symptom 
of  their  labors  ;  the  dawn  of  farther  improvement. 
In  humanity,  care  for  the  sick  and  aged,  their  do 
mestic  relations,  honesty,  temperance,  industry,  and 
politeness,  there  has  been  great  advancement.  From 
a  warlike,  treacherous,  and  cruel  people,  they  have 
become  mild,  tractable,  and  desirous  of  knowledge. 
The  intelligent  observer  will  find  much  in  their  pres 
ent  character  to  gratify  him,  and  more  to  surprise, 


STATE    OP    RELIGION.  189 

when  he  contrasts  them  with  what  they  were  but 
a  score  of  years  since.  But  he  who  goes  among 
them,  his  imagination  picturing  a  nation  changed 
from  brutal  savages,  by  the .  Spirit  of  God,  to  guile 
less  Christians,  worshipping  Jehovah  in  all  the  inno- 
cency  and  strength  of  a  first  love,  their  family  altars 
emblems  of  purity  and  happiness,  their  congrega 
tions  simple  and  sincere,  and  their  dispositions  and 
deportment  refined  to  the  high  standard  of  Christian 
excellence  in  our  own  beloved  country,  will  be  dis 
appointed.  Yet  there  are  writers  who  would  fain 
make  the  world  believe  that  it  is  nearly  so.  None 
have  been  more  pained  and  surprised  than  the  mis 
sionaries  themselves,  at  the  high-wrought  sketches 
which  have  gone  forth,  an  injury  to  their  cause  and 
themselves. 

It  is  still  difficult  to  make  the  natives  understand 
the  nature  of  truth.  They  have  been  so  accustomed, 
from  their  earliest  years,  to  habits  of  deception,  that 
with  very  many,  perhaps  the  majority,  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  any  other  sensation  arises  from  the 
detection  of  a  falsehood  than  mortification  at  being- 
discovered.  In  no  other  point  are  they  more  obtuse, 
but  this  moral  bluntness  is  gradually  wearing  away. 
Licentiousness  is  the  chief  vice  of  the  nation ;  not 
that  they  are  much  worse  in  this  respect  than  nations 
generally  residing  within  the  tropics,  but  it  con 
tinues  to  be  their  most  prominent  trait.  A  few  years 
ago,  in  its  Protean  forms,  it  was  common  to  all,  and 
as  undisguised  as  the  light  of  day.  Now  it  hides 
its  head,  and  seeks  a  new  garment  to  conceal  its  foul 
markings.  The  following  table  of  crime  for  Oahu, 
will  serve  to  show  the  proportion  of  other  offences 


190  STATISTICS. 

to  those  of  sensuality.  It  is  taken  from  the  Kumu 
Hawaii,  of  January  16,  1839,  a  native  paper,  but  the 
period  embraced  in  the  report  is  not  given.  And  it 
should  be  recollected  that  but  a  small  proportion  of 
the  latter  offences  are  ever  detected  or  exposed.  A 
number  of  foreigners  are  embraced  in  the  list,  chiefly 
for  riot,  mutiny,  and  desertion. 
Offences. 

Manslaughter,        4  Seduction,  18 

Theft,  48  Lewdness,  81 

Riot,  32  Adultery,  246 

False  witness,      48 

Desertion,  30  345 

Mutiny,  15 

177 

The  fact  appears  incontrovertible  that  there  yet 
exists  in  the  nation  a  large  body  of  people  who  are 
equally  disposed  to  religious  rites,  or  to  acts  of  a 
different  character,  as  may  be  most  accordant  to  the 
taste  of  those  whom  they  wish  to  gratify.  Another 
generation  must  arise,  with  better  homes  and  more 
civil  and  religious  advantages,  before  the  habits  of 
the  old  are  sufficiently  undermined.  While  evidence 
for  the  most  favorable  view  of  missionary  labor,  to 
a  partial  investigator  appears  conclusive,  ample 
grounds  for  the  opposite  opinion  exist.  The  truth 
lies  in  neither  extreme.  The  friends  of  humanity 
have  just  cause  to  be  grateful  that  so  much  has  been 
accomplished,  and  should  labor  in  earnestness  that 
the  remaining  dark  spots  may  be  washed  white. 

Something  now  remains  to  be  said  of  the  mission- 


MISSIONARY    LIFE.  191 

aries  themselves.  The  reader  will  bear  in  mind  that 
my  remarks  are  confined  exclusively  to  those  of  the 
Hawaiian  islands ;  whether  they  may  be  applicable 
to  those  on  other  stations,  I  have  had  no  opportunity 
personally  to  know.  And  first,  how  do  they  live  ?  In 
good,  comfortable,  and  capacious  houses  of  wood, 
adobie,  or  stone ;  generally  of  two  stories,  and  pos 
sessing  all  the  conveniences  and  much  resembling 
the  better  class  of  farm-houses  in  New  England. 
With  few  exceptions  they  are  the  best  on  the  islands, 
costing  from  one  to  three  thousand  dollars  each. 
Their  patrons,  with  a  wise  liberality,  provide  for 
their  living  in  about  the  same  style  as  country  cler 
gymen  at  home.  Owing  to  the  mildness  of  the 
climate  the  expenses  are  much  less.  They  are  pro 
vided  with  plain  furniture,  and  from  four  hundred  to 
six  or  seven  hundred  dollars  per  annum  is  allowed  to 
each  family  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  its  mem 
bers.  The  property  of  the  mission,  in  herds  and 
cattle,  is  now  considerable,  for  the  use  of  which  land 
is  leased  from  the  government.  They  afford  abun 
dance  of  milk  and  butter ;  the  latter  being  sold  in 
considerable  quantities  to  foreign  residents,  the  pro 
ceeds  going  into  the  general  fund.  The  government 
has  liberally  granted  most  of  the  families  good  tracts 
of  land,  suitable  for  small  farms,  and  many,  by  cul 
tivation  are  enabled  to  eke  out  a  subsistence  almost 
independently  of  the  Board.  By  their  little  plantations 
they  are  enabled  to  instruct  the  natives  in  husbandry 
to  some  extent,  and  to  set  them  an  example  of  in 
dustry  ;  also  to  introduce  among  them  exotic  grains, 
fruits,  and  vegetables.  They  also  afford  to  the  males 
a  healthful  avocation  and  a  pleasant  change  from 


192  ADVANTAGES. 

their  more  confined  duties.  A  New  England  taste 
is  perceptible  every  where  about  their  dwellings. 
Many  are  embowered  in  shrubbery  and  are  sur 
rounded  with  pretty  gardens.  In  fact,  to  judge  from 
their  habitations,  and  the  docile,  mild  race  about 
them,  looking  up  to  their  teachers  with  respect  and 
gratitude,  as  to  beings  of  a  superior  order,  mission 
aries  here  lead  a  pleasant  life.  Away,  it  is  true,  from 
the  social  and  literary  privileges  of  the  United  States, 
and  away  also  from  its  inhospitable  climate,  its  reli 
gious  and  political  excitements  and  dissensions.  Here 
they  are  a  kind  of  magnates  in  the  land ;  an  influ 
ence  and  importance  is  attached  to  their  calling, 
which  they  would  be  less  than  man  if  they  did  not 
appreciate.  Some  families  are  much  isolated  ;  others 
see  a  greater  variety  of  society  and  of  different 
nations,  than  if  they  had  remained  in  their  native 
land,  confined,  as  it  too  often  happens,  within  a  circle 
circumscribed  by  sectarianism.  In  any  case,  inde 
pendently  of  the  pure  motives  which  impel  them  to 
this  work,  their  self-denial  will  not  exceed  that  of 
their  countrymen  whose  pursuit  is  wealth.  With  the 
former,  are  their  wives,  their  children,  and  their 
homes.  They  are  or  should  be  denizens  of  the 
soil  for  life.  The  latter  too  often  are  without  one 
friendly  tie  or  charm,  to  relieve  their  minds,  troubled 
for  gain.  Abiding  places  have  they  none,  longer 
than  the  glittering  ignis  fatui  remains  in  view. 
Theirs  is  a  passion  which  recks  but  little  of  pain, 
privation,  or  disease,  and  fears  not  death,  so  that  their 
objects  be  accomplished.  For  the  one  there  is  a 
holy  sympathy,  which  lightens  their  sufferings  and 


MISSIONARY    LABORS.  193 

enhances  their  success;  their  lives,  tinged  by  a 
romance,  from  the  comparative  novelty  of  their  dis 
interested  labors,  and  the  fewness  of  the  subjects,  are 
upon  an  eminence;  they  are  seen  and  known  of  men; 
conspicuous  guides  pointing  onward  and  upward  to 
the  abiding  place  of  man's  highest  destiny.  Out 
wardly  the  labors  of  the  others  are  selfish ;  competi 
tion  spreads  her  net  about  them,  and  deadens  the 
feeling  of  man  for  his  brother  man ;  in  one  continu 
ous  stream,  as  a  river  pours  forward  to  an  ocean, 
over  shoals  or  cataracts,  circling  and  eddying  by 
sunken  rocks,  dashing  furiously,  rapid  upon  rapid, 
through  some  gorge,  or  peacefully  gliding  in  a  broad 
and  limpid  stream,  so  men  press  on  in  their  race  for 
wealth.  And  yet  in  that  throng,  toiling  and  patient, 
enduring  much,  yet  working  on  until  perhaps  life,  at 
tenuated  to  a  thread,  snaps  asunder  and  consigns  the 
young  in  years,  but  old  and  worn  in  body,  to  dust 
again,  are  many  priceless  souls.  They  work  for 
food  and  raiment,  but  not  all  for  themselves;  a 
relative  sick  or  maimed,  a  motherless  infant  or  fa 
therless  child,  God's  gifts  to  cheer  them  in  their 
wearisome  pilgrimage,  were  their  care.  And  they 
labor  with  a  faith  as  bright  and  a  reliance  as  true 
upon  their  heavenly  Father,  as  if  a  world  had  bade 
them  '  good  speed/ 

I  would  not  detract  one  jot  from  the  resources  of 
that  love  and  benevolence  which  sustains  missiona 
ries  in  their  labors.  Rather  would  I  increase  it,  and 
swell  their  ranks  until  their  name  is  legion.  But  let 
it  be  on  just  grounds ;  no  fictitious  sentiment  should 
be  raised  in  such  a  cause.  Yet  too  often  has  it  thus 
17 


194  OBJECTIONABLE    BIOGRAPHY. 

been.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  missionaries  have 
suffered  most  from  the  bitterly  hostile,  who  have 
dragged  them  before  the  public,  and  assailed  them 
with  foul-mouthed  charges,  or  more  poisonous  insin 
uations,  and  heaped  upon  them  continued  and  unre 
lenting  hostility,  or  those  ill-judged  friends  who  have 
bespattered  them  with  fulsome  praises,  or  eulogies 
scarcely  less  injurious  and  disgusting.  In  conse 
quence,  with  some,  every  missionary  is  viewed  as  an 
individual,  who,  too  indolent  to  earn  a  living  at  home, 
goes  abroad,  the  recipient  of  misplaced  benevolence, 
and  a  bigoted  agent  to  spread  a  fanatical  despotism. 
Others  view  him  in  a  light  scarcely  less  exalted  than 
inspiration  itself,  and  that  is  expected  and  believed  of 
him.  which  humanity  cannot  perform.  There  is  also 
unfortunately  a  false  curiosity  abroad,  which  seeks  to 
strip  the  missionary  and  expose  his  inmost  thoughts. 
In  many  instances  they  have  themselves  pandered  to 
this  vitiated  desire,  and  the  reading  world  has  been 
flooded  to  a  nausea  with  works  recording  the  thoughts, 
sentiments,  speeches,  feelings,  and  experiences  of 
men,  women,  and  even  children,  whose  lives  were  all 
good  and  useful  in  their  appropriate  spheres,  but 
whose  biographies,  even  as  prepared  by  admiring 
friends,  are  at  the  best  but  an  epitome  of  the  life  of 
every  man,  woman,  or  child  with  moderate  preten 
sions  to  intelligence  and  religious  hopes.  The  grave 
yards  of  our  land  contain  myriads  of  such,  and  the 
stones  that  record  their  departure  tell  as  briefly  but 
appropriately  their  worth.  Then  let  them  rest.  Gen 
eration  upon  generation  of  pious  fathers,  mothers, 
brothers  and  sisters  succeed  each  other  beneath  the 


OBJECTIONABLE    BIOGRAPHY.  195 

sod,  and  their  simple  but  adamantine  obituaries  are 
all-sufficient  to  speak  the  tale  to  the  living.  Let  that 
which  is  private  remain  so ;  the  memories  of  the 
humble  departed  are  best  enshrined  in  the  hearts  that 
loved  them.  Otherwise  it  is  to  be  feared,  that,  inde 
pendently  of  the  exposure  and  display  of  thoughts, 
expressions,  and  actions,  which  should  be  as  sacred 
as  the  grave  itself,  desires  foreign  to  unpretending 
worth,  will  arise.  The  prized  speech  of  the  loved 
one  (I  have  known  such  an  instance)  may  become 
the  laugh  or  comment  of  a  criticising  public,  and 
ideas  of  present  notoriety  or  posthumous  fame  be 
mingled  with  pious  aspirations.  Truth  is  benefited 
by  the  temperate  discussion  of  general  principles,  or 
a  critical  examination  of  measures  and  results ;  but 
a  frivolous  curiosity  alone  is  recompensed  by  the 
perusal  of  much  of  modern  biography. 

In  justice  to  the  missionaries  it  should  be  remark 
ed  that  the  comforts  by  which  they  are  surrounded 
are  mainly  the  result  of  their  individual  exertions. 
The  privations  of  the  first  comers,  particularly  the 
ladies,  for  a  number  of  years,  were  many.  Their 
residences  were  the  common  straw  huts  of  the  coun 
try;  damp  and  cold  in  the  winter  season,  hot  and 
accessible  to  dust  and  winds  during  the  summer;  at 
all  times  unhealthy  and  trying  to  a  northern  consti 
tution.  Much  suffering  and  disease  can  be  traced 
to  these  habitations.  The  first  band,  by  some  strange 
neglect,  were  landed  without  a  provision  of  the 
commonest  cooking  utensils ;  women,  accustomed  to 
all  the  paraphernalia  of  a  yankee  kitchen,  were  sud 
denly  reduced  to  little  better  than  the  calabash  and 


106  QUALIFICATIONS    FOR    A    MISSIONARY. 

wooden  bowl,  the  taro  and  pork  of  the  savage. 
Their  supplies  from  the  United  States  for  a  long  time 
were  poor  and  inefficient,  and  to  their  labors  of  char 
ity  was  added  the  absolute  necessity  of  providing  the 
ways  and  means  for  the  sustenance  of  their  families. 
At  that  time,  also-,  if  their  lives  were  not  actually  en 
dangered,  their  fears  were  constantly  excited  by  the 
threats  and  outrages  of  a  lawless  white  population. 
The  worst  savages  they  encountered  were  among 
their  own  race.  Their  friends  were  few  and  power 
less.  But  most  of  their  number  have  lived  to  witness 
and  enjoy  an  entire  change.  It  is  the  transformation  of 
a  wilderness  to  a  blooming  oasis.  Public  sentiment 
among  all  classes  sustains  them  on  the  scene  of  their 
labors.  They  are  valued  and  appreciated  according 
to  their  real  worth,  as  men,  and  as  Christians.  Their 
families  are  welcomed  within  the  circle  of  foreign 

o 

residents,  and  a  community  of  feeling  now  exists,  of 
the  most  social  and  refined  character,  greatly  to  the 
advantage  of  all.  The  vile  charges  so  freely  circu 
lated  against  them  in  former  years,  such  as  of  being 
intemperate,  licentious,  and  avaricious,  have  died  a 
natural  death,  or  are  confined  to  a  class  whose  ap 
pearance  and  reputation  are  of  themselves  sufficient 
expositors  of  their  designing  falsehoods. 

It  has  been  objected  to  many,  that  they  are  not 
men  of  sufficient  intellectual  calibre  for  such  a  situ 
ation.  Some  appear  to  regard  it  as  necessary  that 
all  missionaries  should  be  of  great  mental  power, 
the  master-spirits  of  their  time.  Such  have  ampler 
fields  for  their  abilities  or  benevolence  at  home. 
They  are  best  suited  to  operate  upon  a  thinking,  in- 


QUALIFICATIONS    FOR    A    MISSIONARY.  197 

telligent  people.  But  for  a  race  of  semi-barbarians, 
children  in  knowledge  and  capacity,  another  class  of 
mind  is  better  adapted.  And  it  is  emphatically  such 
as  we  find  among  the  American  missionaries.  Not 
that  they  are  all  equally  qualified,  for  'several,  after 
having  fully  tried  the  experiment,  have  both  satisfied 
themselves  and  their  friends  that  they  had  mistaken 
their  pursuit,  and  have  retired.  But  generally  they 
are  shrewd,  intelligent,  hard-working  men,  true  sons 
of  a  republic,  and  possessing,  in  its  full  vigor,  the 
chiefest  of  yankee  qualifications,  '  gumption.'  Men 
of  powerful  intellects,  who  deal  in  theories,  abstrac 
tions,  or  generalities,  calculated  to  lead,  enlighten,  or 
confound  the  mass,  would  be  ill  adapted  for  this 
people.  Their  teachers  must  be  men  who  can  pen 
etrate  to  the  very  alphabet  of  civilization,  and  that 
practically.  Teach  a  native  how  to  handle  a  hoe,  a 
broomstick,  a  plough,  or  needle,  as  well  as  to  spell 
ab  and  ba,  measure  the  revolution  of  the  planets, 
and  draw  forth  instruction  from  the  well  of  living 
waters.  Work  and  read  with  them,  visit  the  cottage 
as  well  as  the  palace,  please  the  children  as  well  as 
the  adult,  administer  aid  to  the  afflicted,  medicine  to 
the  sick,  and  consolation  to  the  thirsty  soul.  He 
who  says  they  are  not  all  this,  and  more,  does  not 
know  them.  I  have  seen  the  same  individual  per 
form  skilful  surgical  operations,  practice  medicine 
extensively,  plough,  and  direct  natives  in  the  culture 
of  their  farms,  build  the  stone-walls,  and  raise  the 
massive  roof  of  a  church,  a  tinker  and  carpenter  at 
home,  a  music-teacher,  and  a  school-master,  an  in 
terpreter  for  government,  a  translator  for  foreigners 
17* 


198  EXAMPLES. THEIR    HOSPITALITY, 

in  drawing  up  deeds,  in  fact,  an  adept  in  every  good 
and  useful  work,  whether  mental  or  manual.  Be 
loved  by  all  classes,  he  is  constantly  laboring  for  alL 
With  all  this  multifarious  labor,  he,  with  his  spouse, 
a  lady  well  Worthy  of  such  a  husband,  finds  time  to 
educate  six  children  ;  and  a  better  regulated,  and 
more  happy  family,  I  have  never  seen.  As  a  man 
and  Christian,  his  life  is  above  reproach.  Though  so 
distinguished  a  specimen,  he  is  but  a  type  of  a  class. 
Some  are  preachers,  some  school-teachers,  some 
printers,  book-binders,  or  secular  agents ;  and  a  bet 
ter  united,  constantly  laboring  body,  it  would  be 
difficult  to  find.  Differing  in  opinion  at  times,  but 
always  united  in  purpose.  Full  of  that  zeal  which 
seeks  to  make  men  happier,  wiser,  better.  These 
remarks  will,  by  many,  be  thought  extravagant ;  and 
perhaps  not  a  few  of  those  who  have  spent  more 
years  than  I  have  in  the  group,  will  deny  their  cor 
rectness.  But  they  have  not,  as  I  have,  seen  them 
under  all  circumstances,  at  their  homes  and  abroad, 
eaten  of  their  bread,  slept  beneath  their  roofs,  jour 
neyed  with  them,  lived  with  them.  Gladly  do  I 
acknowledge  the  unaffected,  genuine  hospitality  I 
have  constantly  met,  even  when  I  went  with  no  other 
claim  than  that  of  a  stranger.  The  names  of  the 
frank-hearted  gentlemen  whose  society  have  so  often 
given  additional  zest  to  the  pleasures  of  my  wander 
ings,  and  their  ladies,  whose  mild  but  cordial  wel 
come  at  once  makes  the  traveller  feel  that  he  has 
found  a  home,  would  grace  any  work.  The  voy 
ager's  thoughts  wander  from  his  neat  and  well  fur 
nished  room,  to  a  mother,  or  wife,  in  his  native  land, 


LITERARY    AND    COMMERCIAL    LABORS.  199 

and  he  involuntarily  ejaculates,  *  My  country-women 
the  same  everywhere  —  God  bless  them,'  as  he  con 
trasts  the  snow-white  counterpane,  the  comfortable 
mattrass,  and  drawn  musquito-net,  with  the  suspi 
cious  mat,  the  stone  pillow,  and  the  agonies  of  fleas 
which  he  endured  in  some  wild  hut  the  night  previ 
ous.  With  these  families,  the  delight  of  doing  good 
is  a  delicate  thing,  and  the  sanctity  of  the  domestic 
circle  is  as  highly  prized  as  among  the  most  fastidious 
circles  of  a  civilized  land. 

The  literary  and  commercial  world,  as  well  as  the 
religious,  are  under  obligations  to  mission  labor. 
The  best  sources  of  Hawaiian  history,  through  their 
care,  have  been  developed  ;  and,  throughout  Polyne 
sia,  the  most  faithful  and  accurate  reports  of  the  past 
and  present,  with  valuable  contributions  to  science 
generally,  are  drawn  from  their  pens.  Philology 
and  ethnography,  in  particular,  have  grown  in  inter 
est  and  importance  by  their  exertions.  The  name 
of  the  Rev.  Lorrin  Andrews,  in  connection  with  the 
former  branch  of  knowledge,  has  already  become 
well  known,  and  he  needs  but  a  little  leisure  to  be 
come  as  thorough  a  scholar  as  he  is  close  a  student. 
Commerce  has  gained  in  proportion  as  civilization 
has  advanced.  It  may  be  fairly  estimated  that  the 
consumption  of  foreign  fabrics  is  now  at  least  double 
to  what  it  would  have  been  under  their  old  system  of 
government. 

Although  the  American  missionaries  have  labored 
as  successfully  as  any  other  body  of  men  would 
have  done  under  similar  circumstances,  yet  there  are 
errors  and  faults  among  them  which  deserve  mention. 


200  FAULTS. 

They  are  such  as  are  peculiar  to  sectarianism,  in 
whatever  form  it  may  show  itself ;  from  the  nature 
of  man  unavoidable,  but  which,  by  being  candidly 
pointed  out,  may  be  tempered,  and  prevented  from 
degenerating  into  fanatical  hatred.  The  most  ran 
corous  contests  are  those  which  arise  from  polemical 
disputes.  Before  the  Romanists  had  entered  to  any 
extent  upon  the  same  field,  an  illiberal  spirit  was  too 
often  exhibited  towards  those  whose  views  differed 
from  their  own.  They  fell  into  the  natural  but  er 
roneous  habit  of  greatly  exaggerating  their  own  la 
bors,  and  attributing  to  their  neighbors  the  evils 
under  which  the  nation  groaned.  Thus,  at  that  time, 
one  of  their  prominent  individuals  asserted,  that 
'  commerce  was  digging  the  grave  of  the  nation ; J 
an  opinion  in  which  it  is  to  be  hoped  few  coincided. 
But  the  feeling  most  deadening  to  charity,  and  most 
subversive  of  the  spirit  which  the  Prince  of  Peace 
enjoined  upon  his  followers,  is  the  bitter  enmity  to 
the  Roman  priesthood.  It  is  the  duty  of  all  Protes 
tants,  particularly  republicans,  to  oppose  a  system 
which  they  believe  to  be  destructive  of  the  princi 
ples  of  liberty  and  the  gospel.  But  it  is  one  thing 
to  oppose  a  system,  and  another  to  think  ill  of  a 
brother.  The  fault  lies  in  education.  The  Ameri 
can  missionaries  go  forth  with  judgments  matured 
among  the  opposers  of  Popery.  From  their  earliest 
years  they  are  accustomed  to  look  upon  it  as  a  great 
evil,  and  firmly  determine  to  fight  against  it.  Once 
in  the  combat,  their  imaginations  too  often  become 
heated,  and  their  passions  aroused.  That  which  had 
a  tangible  shape,  and  could  be  shaken  by  well-aimed 
blows,  becomes  a  monstrous  phantom  at  which  they 


HOSTILITY    TO    ROMAN    CATHOLICS.  201 

strike  right  and  left,  beating  as  it  were  the  very  air. 
Books  which  favor  their  views  only  are  read ; 
they  write  themselves  into  a  fever  of  excitement. 
One  would  think  from  the  perusal  of  some  of  their 
lucubrations,  that  they  arrogated  to  themselves  the 
monopoly  of  using  hard  names ;  the  more  foolish, 
as  they  mean  nothing,  and  often  excite  only  pity,  or 
contempt.  They  call  upon  the  Romanists  to  peruse 
their  arguments,  while  they  refuse  to  examine  those 
hostile  to  their  cause.  In  short,  whatever  opinion 
may  be  entertained  of  the  Papists,  fierce,  injudicious 
zeal  and  illiberal  conclusions  are  not  altogether  pecu 
liar  to  them.  In  a  land  of  many  religious  parties 
this  feeling  is  diffused ;  all  sects,  whether  Protestant 
or  Romanist,  are  more  or  less  hostile  to  each  other ; 
the  members  of  all  come  daily  in  contact ;  the  civili 
ties  of  life  are  interchanged;  the  acerbities  of  the 
pulpit  wear  off.  Man  sees  that  man,  despite  an  ar 
bitrary  church  government,  or  it  may  be  a  false 
creed,  is  still  man;  a  human  being;  with  hopes  and 
fears,  loves  and  sympathies,  like  his  own.  He  pro 
scribes  his  opinions,  but  takes  him  by  the  hand,  and 
all  come  to  the  conclusion,  that  a  man  may  be  a 
thorough  Calvinist  in  faith,  or  a  believer  in  the 
infallibility  of  the  Pope,  and  yet  be  a  good  citizen, 
and  a  clever  fellow.  God  be  praised,  that  this  re 
deeming  quality  exists,  and  grows  spontaneously 
among  men.  Without  it,  the  earth  would  become 
one  aceldama.  At  these  islands  the  parties  come 
not  in  contact,  except  under  the  hostile  banners  of 
their  churches.  The  Protestant  is  loth  to  believe 
that  men  honestly  can  be  Papists.  All  the  corruptions, 
cruelties,  and  vices,  which  belonged  to  a  past  age, 


202  EXTENT. 

he  appropriates  to  the  present;  and,  while  he  dis 
cards  the  crimes  of  his  own  sect  as  the  result  of  bar 
barous  times,  he  affects  to  believe  that  every  Roman 
priest  he  sees  is  a  grand  inquisitor,  and  every  neo 
phyte  a  poor  deluded  victim.  He  hears  that  France 
is  an  infidel  country,  Spain  a  land  of  crimes,  Italy 
of  licentiousness.  He  believes  all  the  bad,  as  a  mat 
ter  of  conscience ;  but  the  good,  the  virtuous,  the  no 
ble,  that  are  among  them,  are  too  frequently  lost 
upon  him.  This  language  may  appear  harsh,  but  it 
is  practically  thus ;  though  I  fear  it  would  be  diffi 
cult  to  convince  those,  whose  sight  has  ever  been  at 
one  focus,  to  vary  it  in  any  degree.  All  do  not 
think  alike  on  this  point,  but  the  general  sentiment 
is  the  same.  One  of  the  oldest  and  most  intelligent 
ladies  of  the  mission  said  to  me,  that  she  had  rather 
reside  among  the  cannibals  and  licentious  savages 
of  the  Marquesas,  than  in  a  community  of  Roman 
Catholics ;  she  actually  thought  herself  safer  among 
the  former  than  the  latter.  Another  was  afraid  to 
send  her  children  to  the  United  States,  for  fear  they 
would  become  Papists.  When  such  sentiments  find 
room  in  refined  and  cultivated  minds,  can  we  won 
der  that  there  is  something  repulsive  and  terrible  to 
a  genuine  and  ignorant  Roman  Catholic  in  the  name 
of  '  heretic.'  Recrimination  neither  enlightens  nor 
converts  the  world;  and  however  it  may  disagree 
with  rny  private  feelings  to  perceive  errors  among 
those  with  whom  there  is  so  much  excellence,  yet  I 
should  fail  in  truth  were  I  not  to  state  it,  as  my  con 
viction,  that  there  is  too  much  of  intemperate  zeal  in 
the  contest  now  going  on  between  the  American  and 
French  missionaries. 


AMERICAN  MISSIONARIES.  203 

Within  a  few  years  past,  several  individuals  have 
severed  their  connection  with  the  American  Board, 
and  have  either  returned  to  the  United  States,  or  re 
mained  at  the  group,  supporting  themselves,  and 
laboring  independently  of  any  authority.  Of  these* 
two  have  entered  into  the  service  of  the  government ; 
the  Rev.  W.  Richards  having  been  invited  to  fill  the 
situation  of  counsellor  and  interpreter;  Dr.  G.  P. 
Judd,  that  of  recorder  and  treasurer.  In  their  respec 
tive  offices  they  both  have  given  much  satisfaction? 
and  have  been  of  far  more  benefit  to  the  nation, 
than  if  they  had  remained  missionaries.  In  the  in 
fancy  of  his  government,  the  king  is  obliged  to  em 
ploy  many  foreigners ;  many  of  the  minor  offices, 
such  as  port-collectors,  harbor-masters,  high-sheriff, 
&c.,  have  been  filled  from  the  residents  ;  but  the  more 
responsible  situations  require  those  whose  knowledge 
of  their  language,  customs,  and  policy  is  perfect,  and 
who  are  independent  of  all  business  relations. 
Twenty  years  residence  by  the  missionaries  have 
acquired  for  them  the  absolute  confidence  of  the 
nation,  and  its  welfare  required  their  services  in 
these  new  departments.  To  do  this,  they  were 
obliged  to  discontinue  their  relations  with  the  soci 
ety  from  which  they  drew  their  support,  for  its  policy 
allows  of  no  direct  interference  in  the  affairs  of  gov 
ernment.  Their  salaries  are  barely  sufficient  for  their 
support.  Others,  in  consequence  of  differences  of 
opinions  growing  out  of  local  affairs,  or  their  relative 
duties  to  each  other,  have  left  the  Board.  One 
cogent  motive  for  this  dissolution  is,  to  provide  for 
their  growing  families.  The  nation  also  is  rapidly 
advancing  to  that  point  when,  by  its  own  internal 


204  ILL  HEALTH  OF  FEMALES. 

resources,  it  will  be  enabled  to  sustain  its  domestic 
institutions.  It  will  require,  however,  the  aid  of  for 
eigners,  who  may  be  said  to  be  naturalized  within 
its  borders.  And  for  its  real  interests  no  better  class 
can  be  found,  than  those  who  have  been  so  instru 
mental  in  nurturing  and  sustaining  them  in  their 
progress  towards  civilization.  Most  of  these  men 
are  now  ill-adapted  for  any  other  life  than  that  which 
they  now  lead,  and  many  would  sink  under  a  change 
of  climate.  As  the  interests  of  the  people  and  their 
personal  necessities  require  it,  they  will  gradually 
dissolve  their  connection  with  the  society  at  home, 
and  become  independent  workers  in  the  field.  Sup 
ported  by  the  people  as  pastors,  teachers,  or  physi 
cians,  and  by  the  government  as  agents  in  various 
important  departments,  they  will  lead  lives  of  greater 
usefulness  to  those  they  are  among,  and  enable  the 
Board  to  extend  its  operations  elsewhere.  In  pur 
suing  this  policy,  they  and  their  children  will  become 
identified  with  the  nation.  Whether  it  is  the  best 
that  can  be  adopted  is  to  be  determined,  but  circum 
stances  at  the  present  time  tend  strongly  towards  it. 
I  cannot  close  this  chapter  without  referring  to  the 
poor  health  of  the  wives  of  the  missionaries,  and  I 
trust  the  plainness  of  my  remarks  will  be  attributed 
to  the  honest  and  friendly  motives  which  dictate 
them.  The  mortality  among  them  is  greatly  dispro- 
portioned  to  that  of  the  other  sex  ;  three  having  died 
recently,  and  the  remainder  generally  being  feeble,  or 
great  invalids.  The  causes  are  obvious.  They  work 
too  hard,  and  eat  too  little  ;  their  minds  have  not  a 
sufficiency  of  recreation,  or  variety  of  occupation,  to 
preserve  a  healthy  tone.  Those  isolated  from  the 


CAUSES    AND    REMEDY.  205 

society  of  Honolulu,  and  the  chief  ports,  are  the 
greatest  sufferers.  Erroneous  opinions  in  regard  to 
diet  prevail,  and  temperance  —  or  more  properly 
speaking,  abstinence,  both  in  quantity  and  quality  of 
food,  from  economical  motives,  and  other  causes,  is 
carried  to  such  an  extent  as  to  weaken  and  derange 
the  system.  Morbid  fancies  are  thus  created. 
Their  families,  also,  are  large,  and  cares  arduous 
in  the  extreme,  but  were  their  tables  as  com 
fortably  provided  as  their  houses,  they  would 
be  far  better  able  to  sustain  them.  The  men  suffer, 
but  not  in  the  same  ratio.  Their  duties  are  more 
varied,  and  excitements  greater.  A  nutritious,  and 
to  some  degree  a  stimulating  diet,  is  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  general  preservation  of  vigor  in 
northern  constitutions  in  this  climate.  If  proof  were 
needed  on  this  point,  contrast  the  healthful,  ruddy 
frames  of  the  foreign  lady  residents,  generally,  who 
live  well,  though  not  luxuriously,  with  the  slender 
figures,  wan  visages,  and  premature  decay  of  too 
many  of  the  ladies  of  the  mission.  It  is  not  labor 
altogether,  that  produces  effects  so  lamentable,  for 
there  are  others  who  labor  as  hard  as  they.  A  day's 
illness  is  extremely  rare  among  the  lady-residents ; 
in  truth,  with  a  due  regard  to  the  wants  of  the  body 
and  mind,  no  more  healthful  climate  can  be  named. 
That  economy  mistakes  its  own  proper  end,  which, 
for  a  temporary  purpose,  neglects  the  means  necessary 
to  keep  the  wheels  of  human  mechanism  in  running 
order. 

18 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Embark  for  Hawaii. —  Companions.  —  A  Roman   Catholic  Priest 
and  Protestant  Missionary. —  A  Disputation. —  Coast  of  Hawaii. 

—  Port  of  Kailua.  —  Billy  Pitt  the  Younger.  —  Landing. —  Strife 
among    Portera. —  Many   Call,  Few    are   Paid. —  Gov.  Adams. 

—  His  Bulk  and  Character.  —  Palace.  —  Church.  — '  Blue  Laws  ' 
revived.  —  Cotton   Factory.  — '  House  of  Gods.'  — '  House  of  Au 
dience.'  —  Manufacture  of  Idols.  —  Battery.  —  Cave  of  Laniakea. 

—  Mullet  for  Supper.  —  Kapiolani.  —  Cook's  Monument.  —  Em 
bark  for  Kawaihae.  —  Parting  Respects  and  Wail.  —  Mauna  Hu- 
lalai. —  Eruption  from.  —  Roadstead  of   Kawaihae.  —  Heiau   or 
Temple. — Walk  to  Waimea. — Fire. —  Weather.  —  Productions  of 
Waimea.  —  Men  Procured. —  Start  for  Mauna  Kea. — Camp  among 
Fleas. —  Remarkable  Crater. — Minerals. — Wild  Cattle. —  Horses 
give  out.  —  Men  also. —  Reach  the  Summit. —  Wonderful  View 

—  A  Rocky  Lodging-Place.  —  Descend.  —  Height  of  the  Moun 
tain. —  A  Snow-Balling  in  July.  —  Reach  the  Base  of  the  Moun 
tain. —  A  Bullock  Catcher's  Hut.  — '  Clinkers.' —  Rebellion  among 
Men. —  A  Bed  in  the  Rain,  and  a  Smoky  Cave.  —  A  Cold  Morn 
ing. —  Mammoth  Raspberries.  —  Effects  of  a  Tornado  or  Earth 
quake. —  Volcano  of  Kilauea. —  A  Dangerous  Lodging-Place. — 
Storm  and  Eruption  at  Night.  —  Steam  Fissures.  —  Sulphur  Beds 
and  Bath.  —  Extent  of  Crater.  —  Shape.  —  Age.  —  Elevation.  — 
Interior.  —  Descent.  —  Black    Ledge;   Walk  around. —  Burning 
Lakes  and   Cones. —  Gases.  —  Beautiful  Appearance  of  Lava. — 
Great  Heat.  —  A  Perilous   Climb.  —  Dangers  of  Exploration.  — 
Appearance  of  Crater   at  Different   Times. —  Volcanic   Action 
throughout  the    Group.  —  Hawaii  a    Crust  of  Lava,  with   Fire 
beneath. —  Another  Mutiny. —  Provisions   gone.  —  Mauna  Loa, 
the   Great  Mountain.  —  Douglas's   Description    of.  —  Its  Errors 
and   Inconsistencies.  —  Leave  for  Hilo.  —  An   over-sharp    Land 
lord. —  Leave  in  a  Pet.  —  A  Guide's  Trick.  —  Arrival  at  Hilo. — 
Situation  and  Natural  Beauties.  —  Its  Resources,  Climate,  Popu 
lation,  Exports,  &c.  —  Mission  House.  —  Schools.  —  A  New  Jaunt. 


EMBARK    FOR    HAWAII.  207 

—  The  Late  Eruption. —  Immense  Stream  of  Lava.  —  Its  Devas 
tations. —  Burning  Forests,  Smoke,  Fires,  Gases,  &c. —  Appear 
ance  at  the  Sea.  — Three  Hills  and  New  Coast  formed.  —  Salts. 

—  Steam.  —  An  Account  of  its  First  Outbreak,  and  Subsequent 
History. —  A  Sublime  Spectacle.  —  The   Ocean  and  Volcano  in 
Strife.  —  Eccentric  Course  of  the  Stream.  —  Effects. —  Return  to 
Hilo.  —  Primitive  State  of  the  Inhabitants. —  Sunday. —  A  New 
Way  of  Preaching.  —  Feats  in  Swimming.  —  A  Shipwreck  and 
Wonderful  Escape. 

IN  the  latter  part  of  June,  1840,  intelligence  of  a 
terrific  eruption  of  the  great  crater  of  Kilauea  on 
Hawaii,  reached  Honolulu.  No  other  particulars 
arrived  than  that  it  was  of  great  magnitude,  and  de 
stroying  all  living  things  in  its  course.  Having  been 
long  desirous  of  visiting  Hawaii,  as  the  largest  and 
most  interesting  island,  both  from  historical  associa 
tions  and  its  stupendous  natural  phenomena,  I  imme 
diately  determined  to  proceed  to  the  scene  of  fire. 
Mr.  J.  P.  Couthouy,  a  gentleman  attached  to  the  scien 
tific  corps  of  the  United  States  Exploring  Expedition, 
and  another  friend,  joined  me.  A  brig  was  just 
ready  to  sail  for  the  leeward  side  of  the  island.  Ac 
cordingly,  on  the  afternoon  of  the  23d  of  June,  we 
repaired  on  board.  The  distance  to  Kailua,  the  first 
port  at  which  we  were  to  touch,  is  only  one  hundred 
and  fifty  miles.  Ordinarily,  a  vessel  in  leaving  Oahu, 
by  keeping  close-hauled,  can  reach  it  without  tacking; 
but  by  approaching  too  near  Lanai  and  Maui  is 
liable  to  be  becalmed,  and  that  too  on  as  uneasy  a 
swell  as  ever  made  the  bowels  of  a  voyager  yearn 
for  land.  Our  craft  was  scarcely  in  ballast,  and  she 
lay  for  upwards  of  a  day,  rolling,  pitching,  twisting, 
and  dodging,  with  all  the  intricacy  of  motion  of  an 


208  A    DISPUTATION. 

eel  on  terra  firma;  and  for  the  time  being,  a  more 
miserable  set  of  wretches  never  wished  they  had 
stayed  at  home.  A  breeze  sprung  up,  and  with  it  an 
argument  between  a  Roman  Catholic  priest  and  the 
lady  of  one  of  the  American  missionaries,  who  was 
upon  the  point  of  making  a  visit  to  the  United  States. 
Her  station  was  at  Kailua,  and  she  was  now  on  her 
way  thither,  to  procure  her  children.  For  twenty 
years  she  had  toiled  faithfully  in  the  cause,  and  a 
family  had  grown  up  about  her.  Her  husband  was 
to  remain  at  his  post,  while  she  accompanied  her 
offspring  to  their  native  land,  where  they  were  to  be 
left  to  complete  their  education.  She  was  a  woman 
of  great  energy  of  character,  shrewd,  a  violent  anti- 
Catholic,  and  versed  in  all  the  lore  of  Protestantism. 
Her  opponent  was  an  Irishman,  but  educated  in 
Paris;  with  all  the  humor  and  roughness  of  his 
countrymen,  and  the  logical  subtilties  of  his  profes 
sion;  the  traditions,  rules,  and  history  of  his  church 
being  at  his  tongue's  end.  With  him  was  another 
priest,  a  polished  and  intelligent  Frenchman ;  quiet 
and  unassuming,  and  who,  from  his  ignorance  of 
English,  took  no  part  in  the  disputation.  It  was 
conducted  good  humoredly,  though  with  zeal ;  the 
lady  showed  that  she  had  not  been  a  missionary  for 
twenty  years  for  nothing,  and  quoted  torrents  of 
Scripture  and  common  sense,  to  oppose  the  assump 
tions  and  declarations  of  the  priest.  But  it  was  of 
no  use ;  driven  from  one  cover,  he  rallied  at  another, 
and,  as  it  was  evident  at  the  commencement,  both 
might  have  argued  till  the  last  sun  rose  and  set,  and 
each  been  firmer  than  ever,  in  his  original  opinion. 


PORT    OF    KAILUA.  209 

The  lady  was  earnest  for  truth,  the  Irishman  loved  a 
dispute  for  its  own  sake.  At  the  conclusion,  he 
jocosely  observed,  that  the  Roman  Catholics  would 
soon  acquire  the  ascendancy,  and  then  they  would 
drive  every  Protestant  missionary  from  the  islands. 
They  parted,  however,  better  friends  than  before  they 
had  commenced.  Their  doctrines  were  unchanged, 
but  each  unconsciously  had  made  a  favorable  impres 
sion  upon  the  other ;  and  instead  of  cruel  zealots, 
they  discovered  a  mutual  common  humanity.  This 
incident  would  not  be  worth  mentioning,  except  that 
it  may  incite  a  like  feeling  in  others,  and  convince 
them  that  the  most  hostile  parties  need  but  know 
each  other,  if  they  would  lessen  their  bitterness. 

In  approaching  Hawaii,  the  influence  of  the  land 
and  sea  breezes  became  perceptible.  The  land  near 
the  coast  was  so  lofty  as  to  hide  the  more  elevated 
peaks  of  the  interior.  It  appeared  like  an  immense 
black  wall,  tipped  with  a  green ;  the  base  being  vol 
canic  rock,  and  the  summit  skirted  by  a  belt  of  dense 
forests.  Approaching  nearer,  its  inequalities  became 
more  perceptible ;  and  valley  and  hill  were  found  to 
rise  with  a  gradual  swell,  until  they  attained  the 
height  of  five  thousand  feet.  On  the  evening  of  the 
26th,  we  dropped  anchor  in  Kailua  roadstead.  From 
the  distance  we  were,  the  town  looked  prettily  enough. 
In  fact,  it  much  resembled  a  flourishing  fishing  village 
at  home,  —  that  is,  as  far  as  its  two  story  wooden 
houses,  a  stone  church,  and  regular  stone  walls  com 
bined  to  form  the  picture ;  but  the  rugged  mountains, 
numerous  little  white-washed  mausoleums  or  tombs, 
greensward  reaching  the  sea,  and  cocoa-nut  groves 
18* 


210  STRIFE    AMONG    PORTERS. 

were  ill  adapted  to  maintain  the  illusion.  However, 
there  was  not  a  doubt  the  universal  yankee  had 
been  at  work  here.  To  remark  these  trivial  resem 
blances,  doubtless  seems  common-place  to  a  stay-at- 
home  body ;  but  he  that  is  as  restless  in  his  course 
as  the  winds,  with  joy  hails  the  faintest  similitude 
that  reminds  him  of  mother  land.  Before  we  landed, 
Lilihoku,  son  and  heir  of  the  late  Prime  Minister, 
Kalaimoku,  came  off.  Anglicised,  his  name  is  the 
'  Shooting  Star,'  and  his  life  has  been  quite  as  erratic. 
He  is  a  fine  looking  young  chief,  somewhat  rakish 
in  his  habits,  and  arbitrary  in  his  disposition,  but 
kept  in  tolerable  subjection  by  his  guardian,  John 
Adams,  otherwise  Governor  Kuakini,  who  holds  the 
island  for  him.  Lilihoku's  business  was  to  superin 
tend  the  landing  of  a  horse  which  had  been  brought 
for  him.  He  shook  hands  with  the  priests  with  much 
cordiality.  It  is  said  that  his  desires  are  somewhat 
towards  them,  through  from  restraint  or  policy  he 
has  not  openly  avowed  his  preference. 

It  was  sunset  when  we  landed.  The  beach  was 
crowded  with  natives,  to  witness  our  debarkation. 
They  rushed  en  masse,  to  volunteer  their  services  to 
carry  our  luggage.  Several  seized  at  once  on  the 
same  article.  We  divided  them  about,  as  we  best 
could.  The  green  ones  of  our  party  were  delighted 
with  this  instance  of  disinterested  kindness ;  but 
upon  arriving  at  a  friend's  house,  where  we  intended 
to  stop,  their  demands  were  found  to  be  such  as 
might  have  shaken  even  the  imperturbable  assurance 
of  New-York  hack-men.  All  wanted  something, 
whether  they  helped  or  not.  After  paying  the  Simon 


GOVERNOR    ADAMS.  211 

Pures,  a  decided  '  no,'  and  a  '  hali  pele,'  a  term 
about  as  expressive  as  '  go  to  grass,'  or  even  a  worse 
place,  drove  off  the  remainder ;  their  disappointment 
creating  only  a  laugh  among  their  friends. 

In  the  evening  we  called  upon  John  Adams,  and 
found  him  stretched  out,  a  la  Hawaii,  on  a  mat  divan, 
in  a  grass  house.     However,  he  did  us  the  honor  to 
rise  and  approach,  which  labor  we  willingly  would 
have  dispensed  with.     He  was  afflicted  with  a  palsy 
in  his  legs,  which  made  locomotion  quite   painful. 
At  any  time  for  the  past  twenty  years,  it  has  been  to 
him  difficult,  on  account  of  his  prodigious  bulk,  and 
he  has  got  about  mostly  by  aid  of  a  hand-cart.     His 
gait  was  as  much  like  that  of  an  elephant  treading 
upon  sharp  ice,  or  a  bear,  taking  his  first  dancing- 
steps,  on  hot  iron,  as  any  thing  else.     He  weighed 
formerly  three  hundred  and  fifty  pounds,  so  it  was 
said,  but  of  late  had  lost  some  flesh.     He   is  now 
about  fifty  years  of  age,  and  a  shrewd,  intelligent 
man ;  withal  a  wit,  and  converses  fluently  in  English, 
and  with  much  naivette.     As  a  tradesman,  he  is 
exceedingly  keen,  and  has  the  reputation  of  being 
the  wealthiest  chief  of  the  court.     Our  reception  was 
cordial  and  unceremonious.    On  learning  we  wished 
to  visit  the  volcano,  he  offered  to  provide  canoes  for 
a  portion  of  the  way,  at  a  price  which  we  afterwards 
were  assured  was  four  times  more  than  it  was  worth. 
He  then  took  us  into  his  civilized  house,  a  fine,  large 
two  story  building,  situated  on  the  water-side,  and 
which  would  make  a  very  respectable  country  tavern 
in  the  United  States.     It  has  a  neat  portico  in  front, 
but  in  the  rear  it  is  disfigured  by  one  of  those  tern- 


212  PALACE. CHURCH. 

porary  reed  ranais  or  sheds,  which  Hawaiians  inva 
riably  attach  to  their  dwellings,  as  a  screen  from  the 
sun,  when  they  lounge  in  the  open  air.  The  rooms 
are  beautifully  pannelled  with  the  Koa  wood ;  they 
are  spacious,  and  contain  some  elegant  furniture, 
made  from  the  Ko.  He  showed  us  over  the  whole 
house,  with  not  a  little  apparent  self-satisfaction. 
June  27th  was  spent  in  lionizing,  of  which,  for  so 
inconsiderable  a  town,  —  its  population  not  exceed 
ing  two  thousand  —  there  was  considerable  to  do. 
The  stone  church,  which  is  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  long  by  forty-two  in  width,  furnished  with  a 
steeple  and  vane,  is  capable  of  accommodating  two 
thousand  people.  Externally,  it  has  a  factory-like 
look.  The  interior  is  good,  with  lofty  galleries,  sup 
ported  by  marble-painted  pillars,  and  a  pulpit  of 
beautiful  finish,  made  from  the  dark  striped  Koa, 
than  which  wood  there  is  none  finer  for  cabinet 
work.  The  edifice  is  a  monument  of  the  liberality 
of  the  governor,  having  been  erected  mostly  at  his 
expense,  and  I  believe  it  shares  his  pride  equally 
with  his  house.  The  governor's  piety,  for  he  has 
long  been  a  church-member,  is  rather  of  the  utilita 
rian  order.  No  native  has  a  more  correct  knowledge 
of  the  truth,  and  of  the  world  generally.  He  has  a 
keen  insight  into  character,  and  is  at  the  same  time 
avaricious  and  ostentatious.  Fond  of  power  him 
self,  he  is  jealous  of  it  in  others ;  and  the  mission 
have  never  acquired  any  controlling  influence  over 
him,  although  he  has  been  a  firm  and  useful  friend. 
After  the  completion  of  his  church,  he  enacted  sev 
eral  laws  to  regulate  divine  worship,  which  one 


GOVERNOR    ADAMS.  213 

would  think  were  borrowed  from  the  Blue  Laws  of  the 
colony  of  New  Haven.  No  woman  was  allowed  to 
enter  it  without  a  bonnet ;  dogs  also  were  excluded. 
Very  good  regulations  these  ;  but  a  hard  one  for  sleep 
ers  was,  that  any  one  caught  napping  was  rapped  on 
the  forehead  with  a  long  cane.  He  had  police 
stationed  about  it  to  enforce  their  execution.  The 
laws  relating  to  his  own  premises  were  more  severe. 
Any  woman  entering  them  bonnetless,  was  liable  to 
have  her  hair  shaved  off  close  to  her  head. 

In  strolling  about,  we  could  not  but  notice  the 
prince-like  care  with  which  the  Governor  had  provi 
ded  for  himself,  and  the  great  contrast  between  his 
comforts  and  the  miserable  habitations  of  his  people. 
Two  good  dwelling-houses  by  turns,  sheltered  him ; 
the  canoes,  in  short,  every  thing  that  was  really  worth 
having,  belonged  to  him.  In  no  other  place  is  the 
distinction  between  chief  and  people  more  painfully 
apparent.  Adams  is,  however,  the  last  surviving 
high  chief  of  the  olden  regime,  and  it  is  not  to  be 
expected  that  the  habits  of  a  half  century  will  yield 
entirely  to  novel  views,  however  praiseworthy.  Hence 
he  has  been  the  last  to  give  his  sanction  to  the  new 
constitution,  and  its  effect  within  his  jurisdiction  is 
still  circumscribed.  But  draw  the  reins  tight  as  he 
will,  the  people  are  now  slipping  away  from  them. 
He  is  a  Mehemet  Ali  on  a  small  scale.  He  has 
made  good  roads,  but  the  people  sweated  for  them, 
and  not  he,  either  in  body  or  purse.  The  public 
improvements  which  he  has  undertaken  are  almost 
as  numerous  as  those  of  one  of  our  repudiating 
States ;  with  this  advantage,  however,  that  no  bor- 


214  'HOUSE  OF  GODS.' 

rowed  money  has  been  spent.  The  blood  and 
sinews  of  those  who  were  to  reap  the  benefit,  have 
toiled  unceasingly  upon  them.  By  such  works, 
Adams  has  acquired  among  foreigners  the  reputation 
of  being  a  public-spirited  ruler.  To  keep  his  coffers 
filled,  he  peddles  merchandise,  contracts  for  building 
a  church  for  the  papists,  or  buys  and  sells  a  cargo. 
Formerly,  every  chicken  or  potato  sold,  paid  about 
half  their  value  to  him  as  a  tax.  Three  years  since 
he  undertook  to  manufacture  coarse  cottons.  The 
neighboring  soil  is  excellent  for  growing  the  raw 
material.  He  provided  a  thatched  building,  and  dig 
nified  it  with  the  title  of  factory.  When  I  saw  it,  it 
contained  two  native-made  looms,  and  several  dozen 
spinning  jennies.  It  had  been  in  operation  for  one 
year,  and  proper  machinery  had  been  sent  for  to  the 
United  States.  Thirty  girls  were  employed,  who 
received  one  third  of  the  quantity  manufactured,  as 
wages.  The  first  cloth  produced  was  of  a  coarse 
twilled  warp,  exceedingly  strong  and  durable.  Since 
that,  much  improvement  has  been  made,  and  at 
present,  the  quality  is  finer,  and  promises  well  for 
the  future.  Several  pieces  have  been  dyed  in  stripes, 
with  logwood.  The  whole  establishment  being  man 
aged  by  natives,  is  additional  proof  of  their  capacity 
for  the  arts  of  civilized  life  and  their  mechanical  skill. 
One  of  Kamehameha's  temples,  'a  house  of  gods,' 
a  small  grass  building,  still  exists.  It  is  built  upon 
a  stone  mole,  jutting  into  the  sea.  Near  it  remains 
but  one  of  the  many  wooden  images  of  colossal 
size,  sphinx-like  head,  and  hideous,  gaping  mouth  — 
a  horrible  burlesque  upon  the  *  human  form  divine,' 


CAVE    OF    LANIAKEA.  215 

which  formerly  were  ranged  about  the  exterior. 
These  pagan  symbols  have  vanished  from  the  land. 
More,  I  suppose,  can  now  be  found  in  some  muse 
ums  in  Europe  or  America,  than  in  the  whole  length 
and  breadth  of  the  group.  Some  years  since,  the 
demand  for  them  was  so  great,  that  an  ingenious 
native  derived  a  rich  profit  by  their  manufacture;  his 
skill,  and  exposure  to  the  atmosphere,  gave  them  the 
semblance  of  true  antiques,  veritable  gods.  Near 
by  the  temple,  is  the  ancient  house  of  audience  of 
the  old  warrior-king — in  which,  after  his  decease,  his 
body  was  dissected.4  The  final  resting-place  of  his 
bones,  like  that  of  Moses,  none  can  tell :  the  secret 
having  perished  with  the  faithful  follower  whose 
province  it  was  to  inter  them.  The  mole  upon 
which  these  buildings  are  situated,  also  answers  for 
a  fort.  Along  it,  and  on  the  beach,  are  strewn  from 
thirty  to  forty  heavy  cannons,  most  of  them,  however, 
dismantled  and  unserviceable. 

In  the  rear  of  the  town  there  are  many  caves,  some 
of  which  extend  for  miles  inland.  They  were  form 
ed  during  eruptions  of  lava,  by  its  suddenly  cooling 
-on  the  surface,  and  running  underneath,  until  the 
stream  discharged  itself  at  some  outlet.  We  ex 
plored  the  one  called  Laniakea,  the  mouth  of  which 
is  but  a  few  rods  from  the  residence  of  the  Rev.  A. 
Thurston.  Its  course  is  towards  the  sea ;  narrow 
and  low  near  its  entrance,  so  that  we  were  obliged 
to  creep  occasionally ;  farther  on,  expanding  suddenly 
into  chambers  twenty-five  feet  in  height  and  of  pro 
portionate  lateral  dimensions.  The  floor  was  strewn 
in  great  confusion  with  vast  fragments  of  lava,  long 


216  KAPIOLANI. COOK'S    MONUMENT. 

branches  of  which,  encrusted  with  calcareous  matter, 
like  icicles  formed  by  the  dripping  of  water  from 
above,  were  pendant  from  the  roof.  Following  it 
up  through  its  irregular  windings,  and  gradual  de 
scent,  at  the  distance  of  twelve  hundred  feet  from 
its  mouth,  we  reached  a  pool  of  water.  Both  in 
odor  and  taste  it  was  sulphureous.  Although  almost 
stifled  by  the  smoke  and  heat  of  the  candle-nut 
torches  which  our  attendants  bore,  we  stripped  and 
plunged  in.  The  water  was  cold,  and  produced  a 
prickly  sensation  to  the  skin.  The  hall  here  was 
lofty,  and  covered  through  its  whole  extent  with 
a  fret  of  lava-knobs,  columns,  drops,  and  branches, 
jagged  and  fantastic  in  shape  and  hue.  Our  lights 
were  too  nearly  exhausted  to  admit  of  further  explor 
ation,  and  we  crawled  back  to  daylight. 

Governor  Adams  sent  us  for  supper  some  of  the 
delicious  mullet  reared  by  himself.  These,  properly 
cooked,  are  the  chef  cVceuvr.e  of  Hawaiian  epicurian- 
ism,  and  richly  do  they  merit  the  gastronomic  repu 
tation  they  have  acquired.  Here  they  were  more 
than  commonly  fine,  and  I  doubt  not  fat  John  him 
self  owes  a  good  share  of  his  own  obesity  to  their 
nutritious  qualities.  In  return  for  their  feeding  him 
so  well,  he  sees  that  they  are  well  fed. 

It  was  our  intention  to  have  paid  our  respects  to 
Kapiolani,  the  pattern  female  chief  of  Hawaii,  who, 
to  genuine  Christian  attainments,  and  the  habits  of 
civilization,  added  a  refinement  of  manner  which 
gained  for  her  an  enviable  reputation.  She  resid 
ed  at  Kaawaloa,  near  the  death-spot  of  Captain 
Cook,  whose  humble  monument,  erected  by  Lord 


EMBARK    FOR    KAWAIHAE.  217 

Byron,  attracts  all  visitors.  It  is  emphatically  a 
seaman's  shrine,  and  yearly,  from  all  quarters  of  the 
globe,  do  they  go  up  to  gaze  upon  the  spot  where  he 
fell  faceward  into  the  water,  and  to  gather  from  the 
rock  upon  which  his  footsteps  slipped,  a  memento 
of  a  great,  though  erring  man.  But  the  vessel  was 
to  leave  that  night  for  Kawaihae,  a  port  thirty 
miles  to  the  north,  and  directly  on  our  route.  By 
going  in  her  we  should  lose  Kaawaloa,  but  avoid 
delay,  and  an  exceedingly  bad  road.  At  dark  we 
hurried  to  the  beach  to  embark.  Our  lady  passen 
ger  with  her  children  were  there  before  us,  and  the 
whole  village  in  her  train.  They  had  come  to  tes 
tify  their  affection  for  their  teacher.  Many  brought 
fruits,  vegetables,  and  numberless  little  gifts  to  be 
used  on  her  voyage.  Their  demeanor  was  sincere 
and  sorrowful.  As  the  boat  pushed  off,  numbers 
rushed  into  the  water,  following  their  departing 
friends  as  far  as  they  were  able.  A  smothered,  but 
prolonged  wail  broke  from  the  group,  and  they 
watched  the  boat  as  long  as  she  was  visible. 

It  was  midnight  before  the  land-breeze  set  down 
with  sufficient  strength  for  the  brig  to  get  under  way. 
As  it  was,  she  passed  within  her  length  of  a  ledge 
of  rocks,  towards  which  the  swell  was  momentarily 
casting  her  nearer ;  a  favorable  flaw,  however,  ena 
bled  her  to  claw  off  just  as  she  was  expected  to 
strike.  The  wind  continued  light,  so  that  by  morn 
ing  our  progress  had  been  inconsiderable.  A  more 
dreary,  cheerless  coast  never  presented  itself.  It  was 
one  uniform  ruin  of  extinct  craters,  from  whose 
summits,  long  wastes  of  lava,  black,  rugged,  and 
19 


218  KAWAIHAE. 

verdureless,  spread  themselves  out  in  every  direction. 
Mauna  Hualalai  rose  in  the  background  to  the  height 
of  eight  thousand  feet,  a  huge,  repulsive  monument 
of  desolation,  its  sides  furrowed  with  dark  and  pre 
cipitous  ravines,  and  its  summit  surmounted  by  a 
series  of  volcanic  pits  of  greater  magnitude  than 
those  which  rest  upon  its  base.  This  mountain 
was  ascended  for  the  first  time  by  a  party  from  Van 
couver's  vessels,  in  1794.  Smoke  was  then  visible 
at  its  greatest  elevation.  A  few  years  later,  it  poured 
out  a  volume  of  liquefied  rock,  which  overran  a 
wide  extent  of  country,  destroying  several  villages, 
fish-ponds,  and  plantations,  finally  expending  itself 
in  the  ocean,  where  it  filled  up  an  extensive  bay, 
twenty  miles  in  length,  and  formed  a  new  headland 
several  miles  beyond  the  old  termination  of  the 
coast  The  mountain  yet  looks  gloomily,  as  if 
brooding  some  new  disaster.  The  scene  was  re 
lieved  by  occasional  glimpses  of  the  snowy  tops  of 
Mauna  Kea,  as  they  gleamed  out  from  the  dense 
masses  of  clouds  which  clung  about  them. 

It  was  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  before  anchor 
was  dropped  at  Kawaihae.  Though  barren  and 
almost  destitute  of  inhabitants,  it  is  a  place  of  some 
note  in  the  history  of  the  country.  Here  Keoua,  the 
rival  of  Kamehameha,  and  his  followers,  were  assas 
sinated  as  they  were  stepping  ashore  from  their 
canoes,  and  their  bodies  sacrificed  at  the  heathen 
temple,  which  stands  so  conspicuously  in  the  fore 
ground,  the  largest  and  most  perfect  of  the  remains 
of  paganism  in  existence.  This  was  the  favored 
shrine  of  the  stern  yet  pious  old  warrior,  and  blood 


WEATHER.  219 

flowed  freely  on  its  altars  at  his  command.  A  well- 
built  store  and  a  few  houses  constituted  the  only 
appearance  of  a  town.  There  was  no  vegetation  to 
be  seen.  From  the  heights  above,  the  winds  called 
*  mumuku '  sweep  down  with  tremendous,  but  short 
lived  fury,  driving  vessels  from  their  anchors,  and 
making  the  ocean  white  with  rage.  Yet  to  this  place 
Kalaimoku,  the  warrior  and  statesman,  when  at  the 
summit  of  his  power,  regent  of  the  kingdom,  and 
the  crown  of  Kauai  offered  him,  wished  to  retire,  pre- 
fering  rest,  and  a  good  fishing-ground,  to  the  cares  and 
luxuries  of  royal  prerogatives.  Ka\vaihae  is  merely 
a  depot  for  goods  for  the  interior.  A  good  coast-road 
leads  to  Waimea,  fourteen  miles  distant.  It  was  ex 
cessively  hot,  but  we  started  on  foot,  and  sweating  and 
panting  we  toiled  up  the  gradual  ascent.  The  coun 
try  rises  about  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  to  the  mile. 
As  we  advanced,  it  became  more  rolling  and  verdant, 
with  a  ridge  of  wooded  mountains  on  our  left. 

When  half  way,  the  temperature  suddenly  chang 
ed.  A  stormy,  cold  breeze  sprung  up,  accompanied 
with  a  driving  rain,  which  fell  directly  in  our  faces. 
The  water  streamed  from  our  clothing,  and  walking 
was  difficult.  However,  it  was  better  than  swelter 
ing  beneath  a  fierce  sun.  Night  came  on  pitchy 
dark  We  kept  the  road  tolerably  well,  because  it 
was  difficult  to  walk  out  of  it.  Suddenly  we  found 
ourselves  on  the  brink  of  a  stream,  the  extent  or 
depth  of  which  it  was  impossible  to  discover.  Our 
shouts  aroused  a  native  from  his  slumbers  near  by. 
It  was  Sabbath  eve.  We  wished  him  to  take  us 
across.  He  demurred  on  account  of  the  sacredness 


220  WEATHER. 

of  the  day.  We  urged  him.  He  asked  me  if  I 
were  a  *  missionary,'  and  whether  it  was  '•  pono]  a 
good  thing,  for  him  to  carry  us  over.  I  assured  him 
it  was,  and  moreover  he  should  be  well  paid  for  it. 
The  latter  argument  was  Irresistible,  and  he  backed 
us  across  without  further  delay,  and  prompt  and 
early  the  next  morning  came  for  his  reward.  On 
proceeding,  the  road  became  more  confused,  the 
storm  waxed  fiercer,  and  we  lost  our  way.  After 
wandering  at  random  for  some  time,  until  confusion 
was  literally  becoming  '  worse  confounded,'  the  only 
alternative  seemed  to  be  to  select  the  softest  rock  for 
our  bed,  and  the  thickest  bush  for  our  shelter.  For 
tunately  a  light  was  discovered,  and  we  made  directly 
for  it.  It  issued  from  a  native  hut,  into  which,  with 
out  ceremony,  we  entered.  At  our  disconsolate 
appearance,  all  dripping  with  wet,  and  shivering  with 
cold,  the  women  uttered  their  mournful  (au-ue,' 
and  pitied  us  all  they  could.  What  was  better,  they 
procured  a  guide  to  conduct  us  to  the  house  of  the 
missionary  at  Waimea,  which  was  soon  reached. 
We  were  hungry,  and  he  fed  us ;  wet,  and  he 
clothed  us ;  our  own  baggage  not  arriving  until  the 
ensuing  day.  Woollen  clothes  and  a  fire  for  the 
first  time  at  these  islands  I  found  very  comfortable, 
and  our  attention  to  the  stove  until  retiring  was  most 
exemplary.  A  fire  in  midsummer  is  no  rarity  here. 
Waimea  is  situated  on  an  extensive  plain,  with 
Mauna  Kea  on  the  one  side,  and  a  range  of  less  ele 
vated  mountains  on  the  other.  The  trades  sweeping 
over  them,  chilled  by  the  constant  rains  on  their 
summit,  pour  over  the  plain  as  through  a  tunnel. 


WAIMEA.  221 

whistling  and  shrieking  in  all  the  fury  of  a  gulf- 
stream  gale.  During  their  violence  the  plain  is 
either  drenched  with  showers,  or  alive  with  driving 
sand  and  gravel,  which  is  borne  along  with  the 
force  of  hail,  cutting  the  features  exposed,  and  driv 
ing  the  luckless  traveller  to  a  shelter.  The  thermom 
eter  for  one  season  averaged  but  sixty-four  degrees, 
varying  but  little  either  way  from  that  temperature. 
Thin  ice  is  formed  during  the  winter.  This  degree 
of  cold  makes  it  an  excellent  site  to  recruit  a  system 
debilitated  by  the  heat  of  the  coast.  In  good  weather 
the  air  is  remarkably  pure  and  bracing ;  the  plain 
abounds  in  strawberries,  and  affords  a  fine  field  for 
hunting  wild  cattle,  which  here  are  very  numerous. 
The  population  is  sparse,  amounting  to  but  few 
thousands.  Their  food  is  mostly  brought  from  a 
valley  twelve  miles  distant. 

There  are  some  good  houses  and  stores ;  the  for 
eigners,  mostly  mechanics  and  bullock-hunters,  num 
ber  sixty.  Very  good  beef  and  pork  is  here  salted, 
and  exported ;  also,  a  considerable  quantity  of  lard. 
Sugar  has  been  raised,  but  of  inferior  quality.  Shoes 
and  saddlery  are  also  manufactured  to  some  extent. 
As  an  anomaly  in  the  culinary  art,  tolerable  bread  is 
made,  by  the  housewives,  from  poi  and  arrow-root. 
A  few  miles  distant,  are  the  sepulchral  caves  of  the 
ancient  inhabitants,  which  have  so  often  been  dis 
turbed  by  the  craniological  propensities  of  travellers, 
that  the  natives  have  taken  away  the  remains  of  their 
ancestors,  and  bestowed  them  in  a  more  secure  situ 
ation. 

We  had  great  difficulty  in  procuring  men  for  our 
19* 


222  MEN    PROCURED. 

jaunt,  which  was  to  ascend  Mauna  Kea,  and  reach 
the  volcano  through  the  central  part  of  the  island. 
The  natives  have  no  passion  for  high  mountains,  or 
cold  weather.  Good  men  were  not  to  be  procured 
at  any  rate;  but  to  go  we  were  determined,  and, 
finally,  by  negotiating  with  the  '  head  man/  we  pro 
cured  twelve,  and  a  guide,  named  Honoa,  who  pro 
fessed  to  be  acquainted  with  every  path  and  route  on 
the  whole  island.  These  fellows  were  all  of  the 
'chain-gang'  criminals,  who  had  the  choice  of  going 
with  us,  or  continuing  their  labors  on  the  public 
works.  Their  wages,  I  suppose,  were  to  go  towards 
the  payment  of  fines.  It  was  evident  that  to  them 
it  was  but  a  choice  of  evils ;  for  they  manifested  no 
enthusiasm  in  the  cause.  When  they  were  all  mus 
tered,  a  more  cut-throat  looking  set  never  made  their 
appearance  out  of  Newgate.  The  countenances  of 
some  were  perfectly  hideous,  combining  all  of  evil 
human  features  are  capable  of  expressing.  One 
would  have  set  to  advantage  for  the  original  of  Mi 
chael  Angelo's  Satan.  So  strong  was  the  impres 
sion,  that  with  us  he  always  was  known  by  that 
diabolical  cognomen.  Another  bore  no  faint  resem 
blance  to  David's  Cain.  In  sober  truth,  they  looked 
ugly  enough  for  any  wicked  deed;  and  had  they 
been  of  any  race  but  the  Hawaiian,  and  had  we 
aught  about  us  that  was  valuable,  we  should  have 
voted,  unanimously,  to  dispense  with  their  services. 
Our  baggage,  consisting  of  a  calabash  of  clothing, 
another  of  hard  bread  and  cold  pork,  and  several 
blankets  apiece,  was  divided  among  them.  For  their 
wants,  we  provided  thick  tapas,  to  screen  them  from 


START  FOR  MAUNA  KEA.  223 

the  cold  and  rain,  seven  hundred  pounds  of  poi,  one 
hundred  of  fish  and  dried  beef,  and  as  much  water 
as  they  could  carry  in  addition ;  stores  sufficient  for 
several  weeks.  They  started  in  advance. 

By  twelve  o'clock,  the  thirtieth  of  June,  we  were 
mounted,  and  on  our  way ;  for  we  had  taken  horses, 
to  ascend  the  mountain  as  far  as  it  was  practicable 
to  go  with  them.  The  plain  remained  quite  level  for 
twelve  miles,  broken  occasionally  into  crater-like 
hills;  our  course,  at  first,  was  east-southeast,  then 
diverged  to  southeast  by  east,  until  we  reached  the 
mountain.  The  first  portion  of  ascent  was  gradual, 
through  a  scanty  forest  At  sunset,  we  stopped  at  a 
cave,  about  seven  thousand  feet  up,  where  we  were 
to  pass  the  night.  It  is  a  common  caution,  to  beware 
of  these  places;  and  never  was  the  caution  more 
needed,  than  in  this  instance.  Scarcely  had  we  set 
foot  within  its  precincts,  before  we  were  literally 
fleaed  alive.  Our  clothing  was  immediately  lined 
with  them ;  and  such  stout  ones !  their  very  kick  was 
painful.  After  grinning,  twisting,  and  scratching,  for 
some  minutes,  we  came  to  the  unanimous  decision, 
that  this  was  a  species  of  martyrdom  altogether  in 
consistent  with  the  objects  of  our  journey,  and  we 
bolted.  An  hour's  stripping  and  search,  by  twilight, 
freed  us  of  the  most  implacable  of  our  enemies,  and 
then  we  sought  a  new  resting-place,  with  the  cool 
prospect  of  sleeping  blanketless  and  supperless,  as 
our  men  had  not  arrived.  Having  prepared  a  bed  of 
dried  ferns,  we  turned  in,  brimful  of  wrath  at  our 
lazy  kanakas.  However,  before  nine  o'clock,  they 
came  straggling  along,  made  us  a  fire,  and  we  passed 


224  WILD    CATTLE, 

a  comfortable  night.  Thermometer,  forty-six  degrees 
at  sunrise. 

July  1st.  This  morning,  we  were  up  and  off,  as 
early  as  the  somniferent  propensities  of  our  men 
would  permit.  Our  course  was  directly  for  the  sum 
mit,  the  shortest,  though  steepest  way.  Some  fine 
white  raspberries  were  discovered,  and  greedily 
plucked.  A  few  strawberries  were  now  and  then 
seen ;  but  a  few  hours  of  toilsome  ascent  and  slow 
progress  carried  us  beyond  the  line  of  vegetation,  ex 
cept  one  species  of  fern,  and  a  few  stunted  grasses, 
W"e  then  entered  upon  a  bed  of  scoria  and  rough 
lava.  This  led  to  a  large  crater,  apparently  the  great 
terminal  one  of  Mauna  Kea.  The  side  towards  the 
northwest,  through  which  we  entered,  was  torn  awayr 
and  here  the  lava,  apparently,  had  discharged  itself. 
Including  the  numerous  sand  and  scoria  conical- 
shaped  chimneys,  which  have  an  elevation  of  from 
five  hundred  to  one  thousand  feet  each,  and  appear 
to  have  been,  as  it  were,  blown  up,  by  the  expansive 
force  beneath,  its  circumference  was  not  less  than 
six  miles.  The  basin  was  broken  up  into  lakes, 
crested  waves,  cones,  and  all  the  distorted  shapes  of 
an  active  crater,  rendering  travelling  exceedingly 
rough.  Our  men  gave  out,  every  few  rods.  On 
these  chimneys  were  herds  of  bullocks,  which  scam 
pered  off  at  our  approach,  and  plunged  down  their 
rugged  sides,  with  a  rapidity  which  defied  pursuit. 
Their  only  object  in  frequenting  this  region,  where 
there  is  no  trace  of  vegetation,  is  to  avoid.the  pursuit 
of  the  hardy  hunters,  or  to  lick  the  snow. 

After  pushing  our  way  until  within  two  thousand 


HORSES    GIVE    OUT  :    MEN    ALSO.  225 

feet  of  the  summit,  our  horses  sank  exhausted  to  the 
ground,  and  we  sent  them  back.  This  was  at  the 
bed  of  a  large  lava  lake,  at  the  southeastern  extrem 
ity  of  the  crater.  Here  we  found  a  series  of  min 
erals,  such  as  we  had  not  noticed  before.  They  were 
augite,  hornblende,  olivine,  etc.  Leaving  the  lava, 
we  struck  upon  volcanic  gravel,  loose  and  slippery  to 
the  footing.  At  this  height,  my  respiration  was  sen 
sibly  affected,  lips  cracked,  eye-balls  inflamed,  and  a 
dizzy,  swimming  sensation  in  my  head.  Some  of 
the  natives  were  similarly  attacked.  By  the  time  we 
had  reached  the  foot  of  a  sand  hill,  about  three  hun 
dred  feet  above  us,  which  the  guide  insisted  was  the 
highest  peak  of  the  mountain,  these  symptoms  had 
increased  to  such  a  degree,  accompanied  by  faint- 
ness,  that  I  could  not  walk  without  assistance,  and 
but  a  few  rods  at  a  time.  Some  peppermint  and 
brandy,  mixed  with  water,  relieved  me  a  little.  My 
companions  were  less  troubled.  It  was  now  sunset, 
and  we  were  on  the  highest  visible  point  but  one, 
surrounded  by  a  scene  of  infinite  grandeur.  To  the 
south  lay  Mauna  Loa,  with  its  dome  summit,  on 
which  could  distinctly  be  traced  the  great  crater  of 
Douglas,  now  at  rest,  for  no  smoke  was  visible. 
Mauna  Hualalai  rose  precipitously  on  our  right ;  and 
such  was  the  clearness  of  the  atmosphere,  that  they 
both  appeared  close  upon  us,  though  thirty  miles  dis 
tant.  On  this  side,  we  had  an  adequate  conception 
of  our  elevation,  thirteen  thousand,  six  hundred  feet. 
The  great  plain,  between  the  two  mountains,  which 
is  two  days'  journey  across,  appeared  but  a  mere 
valley,  while  immediately  beneath  us,  Mauna  Kea 


226  WONDERFUL    VIEW. 

descended  so  precipitously,  that  its  base  conld  not  be 
seen.  The  sky  was  cloudless,  and  of  the  most  per 
fect  transparency.  Looking  back,  from  whence  we 
had  ascended,  our  gaze  rested  upon  an  ocean  of 
clouds,  piled  in  gorgeous  and  dense  masses,  or  lying: 
like  drifts  of  the  whitest  snow*  The  last  rays  of  the 
sun  played  upon  this  airy  sea,  with  the  most  daz 
zling  brilliancy,  giving  it  those  ethereal  shades,,  which 
are  beyond  description,  and  no  artist  can  catch.. 
This  belt  of  clouds  shrouded  all  beneath  from  our 
view;  but  in  the  background,  sixty-five  miles  dis 
tant,  rose,  in  bold  relief,  like  some  ethereal  island,  the 
dark  blue  peaks  of  Maui ;  for  they  had  that  tinge- 
Their  appearance  at  once  drew  from  all,  one  sympa 
thizing  burst  of  delight  and  astonishment.  Though 
they  were  nearly  four  thousand  feet  below  us,,  with 
more  than  two  thirds  of  their  height  enveloped  in 
vapor,  there  they  stood,  seemingly  rising  for  miles  in 
perpendicular  height  above,  and  with  a  proximity 
that  appeared  fearful.  In  our  ascent,  on  looking 
back  occasionally,  we  had  noticed  that  these  peaks 
appeared  above  us,  which  we  attributed  to  our.  being 
still  far  from  the  summit  of  Maun  a  Kea.  But  when 
our  present  position  was  gained,  and  we  turned  our 
heads  to  take  a  last  view  in  that  direction,  their  eleva 
tion  appeared  miraculous ;  for  they  towered  appa 
rently  as  far  above  us,  as  we  above  the  plain.  It  was, 
a  spectacle  that  would  have  repaid  the  greatest  toil ; 
and  was,  doubtless,  one  of  those  rare  combinations 
in  the  natural  world,  of  the  serenely  grand  and  beau 
tiful,  shadowing  forth  the  mysteries  and  sublimities  of 
the  all-creating  power,  which  ever  awaken  a  holy  sen- 


A    ROCKY    LODGING-PLACE.  227 

*Iment  even  In  the  coldest  heart.  The  effect  was  over 
whelming,  and  we  gazed,  spell-bound,  in  silent  praise 
and  admiration.  The  soul  felt  its  influence,  and  rea 
son  was  awed.  Sufficient  for  us  was  it  thus  to  be 
hold  that  wondrous  phenomenon.  In  the  still  closet, 
the  outward  perceptions  confined  to  its  walls,  calcu 
lating  philosophy  might  lay  bare  the  secret  of  its 
birth.  But  we  were  resting  on  one  of  the  sublimest 
monuments  of  God's  creative  fiat,  far  beyond  the 
works  of  man.  Around  us,  above  and  beneath,  rose 
the  mighty  pinnacles  of  nature's  glorious  temple ; 
the  lovely  and  stupendous,  the  pleasing  and  terrible, 
commingling  in  most  perfect  harmony.  It  was  as  if 
all  spirits,  pure  and  great,  fair  and  base,  had  involun 
tarily  united  in  an  anthem  to  the  Almighty.  His 
attributes,  love,  mercy,  and  justice,  were  here  typi 
fied  in  all  their  fulness.  Night,  at  that  elevation,  was 
slow  in  creeping  up  the  mountain ;  and  the  parting 
rays  of  the  sun  loitered  upon  its  peaks,  long  after 
twilight  had  settled  into  darkness  at  its  base.  Before 
it  reached  us,  we  took  the  hint,  and  on  the  south  side 
descended  about  eight  hundred  feet.  We  there 
found  an  overhanging  rock,  which  afforded  some  de 
gree  of  shelter  from  the  keen  mountain  air.  It  did 
not  blow,  but  the  thermometer  stood  at  forty  degrees. 
The  leaves  of  some  giant  ferns,  which  lay  scattered 
about,  lifeless  and  dried,  made  a  very  tolerable  bed. 
Their  trunks  afforded  fuel  for  a  fire.  Our  natives 
huddled  together  like  sheep ;  and  we  all  made  our 
selves  as  comfortable,  as  a  rocky  couch,  and  that  none 
of  the  smoothest,  would  allow. 

We  found  it  impossible  to  sleep,  the  rarefication  of 


228  HEIGHT    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN. 

the  atmosphere  still  causing  faintness,  until  we  drew 
our  blankets  over  our  heads.  All  were  up  at  sun 
rise,  the  thermometer  stood  at  thirty  degrees,  and  a 
fine  bracing  morning  it  was.  My  companions,  not 
having  seen  the  snow,  disbelieved  the  guide's  state 
ment  the  evening  previous,  and  started  themselves  to 
seek  the  summit.  Having  ascended  the  hill  which 
the  guide  had  pointed  out,  they  found  another  arising 
two  hundred  or  more  feet  above  that,  which,  after 
great  labor,  they  scaled.  These  hills  are  composed 
of  loose  sand,  into  which  one  slips  knee  deep  at 
every  step.  The  second  one  was  frozen  hard.  This 
they  found  to  be  the  highest  point ;  it  was  covered 
with  slag,  lava,  and  gravel.  The  snow,  or  rather  ice, 
lay  in  chasms,  in  a  few  spots,  in  masses  ten  feet  deep, 
fourteen  wide,  and  three  hundred  long.  It  had  gone 
but  recently  from  where  we  were  the  evening  before, 
traces  of  it  still  remaining  on  the  ground.  Snow  falls 
during  storms  throughout  the  summer,  but  rately  re 
mains  long.  Some,  doubtless,  in  sheltering  situa 
tions,  survives  the  season.  About  five  hundred  feet 
down,  in  a  southerly  direction,  lay  the  pond  of  water, 
the  existence  of  which  has  been  often  doubted.  It 
lies  in  the  basin  of  a  small  crater,  and,  at  that  dis 
tance,  appeared  green  and  slimy.  Having  piled  a 
cairn,  as  a  memorial  of  their  success,  they  returned  in 
all  haste  to  the  camp. 

Travellers  have  differed  greatly  in  their  estimates 
of  the  elevation  of  Mauna  Kea ;  some  raising  it  even 
to  eighteen  thousand  feet,  while  others  reduce  it  to 
thirteen  thousand  six  hundred  and  forty-five.  Capt. 
Wendt,  in  1831,  makes  it  fourteen  thousand  and 


HEIGHT    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS.  229 

fifty-five  feet.  Considerable  discrepancy  seems  to 
exist  in  regard  to  Mr.  Douglas's  measurements.  In 
a  letter  to  a  friend  in  London,  dated  May  6,  1834? 
and  published  with  his  journal,  he  gives  Mauna  Kea 
an  altitude  of  thirteen  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
fifty-one  feet.  Mauna  Loa,  thirteen  thousand  five 
hundred  and  seventeen  feet.  The  editors  of  the 
Hawaiian  Spectator,  Volume  I,  No.  2,  page  98, 
quote  Douglas  at  thirteen  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  sixty-four  feet  for  Mauna  Kea,  thirteen  thousand 
four  hundred  and  seventy  feet  for  Mauna  Loa. 
«  The  Prussian  Chart,'  published  at  Potsdam,  1S39, 
citing  Douglas  as  authority,  makes  Mauna  Kea 
thirteen  thousand  six  hundred  and  forty -five  feet, 
Mauna  Loa  thirteen  thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty. 

Being  unexpectedly  disappointed  in  obtaining  a 
barometer,  we  were  not  able  to  add  any  scientific 
measurements  to  the  list  given,  and  here,  as  at  other 
places  on  our  route,  were  obliged  to  depend  upon 
the  dicta  of  others,  or  upon  such  calculations  as 
could  be  obtained  from  simple  computations,  pacings, 
lines,  &c.,  which  was  a  source  of  great  vexation  to 
us,  after  having,  as  we  flattered  ourselves,  obtained 
the  necessary  instruments  for  ascertaining  heights, 
(one  of  the  principal  objects  of  our  trip,)  and  not 
learning  of  our  disappointment,  until  it  was  too  late 
to  remedy  it. 

Since  our  visit  a  geological  and  topographical  sur 
vey  of  the  chief  features  of  the  island  has  been  made 
by  the  scientific  gentlemen  of  the  U.  S.  Exploring  Ex- 
pediiion;  the  results  of  which  will  soon  be  made 
public. 

20 


230  A    SNOW-BALLING    IN    JULY. 

Douglas  speaks  of  the  '  apparent  non-diminution 
of  sound,'  as  being  a  matter  of  astonishment  to  him. 
The  ease  and  distinctness  with  which  we  heard 
voices,  and  even  conversation  at  long  distances,  was 
frequently  noticed  by  us ;  also,  the  rapidity  with  which 
other  sounds  were  transmitted. 

Before  my  friends  reached  the  camp,  I  had  started 
with  our  men,  to  descend  the  mountain,  zigzagging 
in  a  southerly  direction.  They  were  quite  benumbed 
with  cold,  and  it  was  not  until  the  sun  had  been  up 
some  hours,  that  they  became  sufficiently  thawed,  to 
proceed  with  any  vigor.  The  descent  was  exceed 
ingly  steep  and  wearisome.  This  side  of  the  moun 
tain  was  nothing  but  a  vast  pile  of  compact  volcanic 
rocks,  of  all  sizes,  broken  into  every  variety  of  shape, 
all  presenting  sharp  sides,  and  jagged  points,  and 
throwm  at  random  into  a  loose,  sliding  bed  of  gravel, 
which,  slipping  from  under  our  feet  at  every  step,  en 
dangered  our  limbs  by  the  avalanches  of  stones  it 
carried  with  it.  After  a  few  miles  of  such  slope,  the 
men  discovered  a  spring  of  clear,  cold  water,  gush 
ing  out  of  the  mountain,  to  which  we  all  hastened, 
having  been  upon  an  allowance  of  that  article  for 
the  last  twenty-four  hours.  Here  the  missing  ones 
rejoined  our  party.  Mr.  C.  brought  with  him  a 
handkerchief  filled  with  snow,  with  which  we  turn 
ed  to  and  had  .a  fine  snow-balling,  while  it  lasted, 
pelting  each  other  right  merrily.  Our  Honolulu 
friends,  puffing  and  panting  with  heat  and  dust, 
no  doubt  would  have  envied  us  the  occupation. 
The  declivity  proved  equally  steep  the  whole  way 
down,  with  soil  sufficient  only  to  bear  a  few  grasses, 


REACH    THE    BASE    OF    THE    MOUNTAIN.  231 

and  a  small  species  of  cassia  with  a  yellow  blossom. 
Herds  of  bullocks  were  frequently  seen,  some  of 
which  were  quite  tame,  and  did  not  run  until  we  ap 
proached  within  pistol  shot.  Before  reaching  the 
plain  we  were  exceedingly  annoyed  by  a  strong 
wind  suddenly  springing  up,  which  drove  the  sand 
in  dense  clouds  before  it,  cutting  our  faces  and  blind 
ing  our  eyes  by  its  violence.  The  plain,  bounded  by 
Mauna  Kea  on  the  north,  Mauna  Loa  on  the  south, 
and  Mauna  Hualalai  on  the  west,  and  embracing 
nearly  a  third  of  the  superficial  extent  of  the  whole 
island,  appears  to  have  been  to  most  persons  a  terra 
incognita.  On  some  of  the  earlier  charts  a  swamp, 
or  morass,  is  delineated  as  occupying  much  of  this 
area,  and  even  to  this  day  it  is  but  seldom  visited, 
except  by  bullock-catchers.  It  is  mostly  a  table-land, 
gradually  swelling  from  both  sides  of  the  island,  un 
til  it  attains  an  elevation  of  four  thousand  feet.  On 
the  south  and  east  it  is  cut  up  by  streams  of  lava, 
apparently  of  not  very  ancient  date,  which  have 
flowed  from  the  adjacent  mountains.  Numerous 
small  conical  craters,  of  exceedingly  regular  shape, 
and  composed  of  slag  and  sand,  dot  these  streams. 
As  they  approach  Mauna  Kea,  vegetation  commen 
ces,  on  a  soil  composed  of  sand  and  ashes,  through 
which  the  volcanic  layers  occasionally  show  them 
selves,  but  not  frequently  enough  to  prevent  a  tolera 
ble  cart-road  from  running  along  by  the  base  of  the 
mountain.  On  this  side,  the  plain,  hills,  and  small 
craters,  for  many  miles,  are  beautifully  diversified 
with  groves  of  an  elegant  laurel,  which  we  had  no 
ticed  nowhere  else  on  the  island,  or  indeed,  on  any 


232  '  CLINKERS.' 

other  of  the  group.  It  grew  in  clusters  of  from 
thirty  to  forty  feet  in  height,  with  small  dark 
green  leaves,  delicate  white  blossoms,  and  branches 
that  nearly  swept  the  ground.  Their  foliage  formed 
a  graceful  dome,  impervious  to  the  sun ;  while  be 
neath  was  a  greensward,  free  from  all  underbrush. 
Upon  the  whole,  they  were  decidedly  the  prettiest 
trees  that  we  met  on  the  island.  The  plain  is  too 
dry  ever  to  become  fertile,  or  of  any  value  to  the  ag 
riculturist,  being  like  a  sponge,  so  porous  that  water 
cannot  remain  ut  on  it. 

After  leaving  the  mountain  we  travelled  at  a  rapid 
rate  for  nine  miles,  the  latter  part  through  a  driving 
rain,  until  we  reached  a  bullock-catcher's  hut.  It 
was  a  mere  temporary  shelter,  thrown  up  by  them 
while  in  their  hunting  excursions,  but  it  proved  a 
welcome  haven  to  us.  Having  built  a  fire,  dried  our 
clothes,  and  supped  on  pork,  which  by  this  time  had 
become  quite  lively,  we  laid  down  upon  a  bed  of 
leaves,  and  enjoyed  a  sound  night's  rest. 

July  3.  —  Rose  at  five  o'clock.  Thermometer  for 
ty-eight  degrees.  Started  our  natives  immediately. 
A  mile  more  travelling  S.  S.  E.,  carried  us  clear  of 
the  laurel  trees,  and  we  found  ourselves  upon  one  of 
those  McAdamized  tracts  of  Hawaii,  yclept  '  clink 
ers,'  or,  in  other  words,  volcanic  streams,  which  in 
cooling,  have  split,  cracked,  tumbled,  and  burst  into 
every  jagged  and  irregular  shape  of  which  nature  is 
capable.  Here  carne  the  tug  of  war  for  our  shoes, 
which  soon  gave  out,  but  having  four  pair  apiece  in 
our  baggage,  we  re-shod  ourselves,  and  hastened  on. 
The  natives  wore  sandals  made  of  raw-hides,  which, 
requiring  frequent  renewal,  greatly  delayed  our 


<  CLINKERS.'  233 

march.  The  ugliness  of  their  looks  had  got  into 
their  manners,  and  they  gave  us  increasing  trouble, 
the  farther  we  advanced.  If  we  wished  to  push 
on,  they  lagged.  If  we  rested,  they  hastened  on. 
We  had  grown  sufficiently  wise  from  past  expe 
rience  not  to  trust  them  alone  with  the  baggage; 
this  they  knew  and  availed  themselves  of,  to  the  ut 
most.  If  we  scolded,  they  scowled;  if  we  coaxed, 
they  laughed ;  in  their  impudence  they  forgot,  that,  if 
they  outnumbered  us,  we  held  the  purse-strings,  and 
we  consoled  ourselves  with  the  thought  of  what  we 
would  do  at  the  termination  of  the  jaunt.  The 
rascals  had  already  consumed  and  wasted,  to  lighten 
their  loads,  seven  days'  provision  in  two,  besides  de 
vouring  most  of  our  own.  Poor  fellows,  their  grub, 
in  the  prison  allowance,  had  been  short;  but  their 
capacity  of  stomach  baffled  all  our  calculation,  and 
at,  every  halt  we  found  the  deficiency  of  our  provis 
ions  becoming  more  alarming.  Eat,  or  rather  stuff, 
they  would  now,  although  assured  they  would  soon 
be  obliged  to  labor  without  food. 

The  clinkers  were  interspersed  with  some  tracts 
of  smoother  lava,  which  at  any  other  time  we  should 
have  thought  bad  enough,  but  now  they  proved  a 
most  agreeable  change  from  their  rougher  neighbors. 
We  occasionally  came  upon  wild  geese,  which  were 
very  tame,  and  found  abundance  of  rain-water 
in  the  hollows  of  the  rocks.  At  one  o'clock  we 
reached  a  fresh  tract  of  clinkers  two  miles  across, 
which  was  the  very  '  blackness  of  desolation  '  itself. 
Just  imagine  the  slag  from  all  the  forges  and  glass 
factories  which  have  been  in  existence  since  the 
20* 


234          A    BED    IN    THE    RAIN.  SMOKY    CAVE. 

commencement  of  time,  dropped  in  masses,  from  the 
size  of  a  small  house  to  that  of  a  marble,  upon  a 
plain  like  this ;  every  mass  being  all  points,  every 
point  sharp  and  cragged,  and  all  uppermost,  and  a 
faint  idea  of  this  highway  can  be  formed. 

A  portion  of  the  way  was  like  crawling  over  piles 
of  broken  junk  bottles,  each  bottle  varying  from  the 
size  of  a  demijohn  to  a  hogshead.  After  pitching, 
twisting,  and  tumbling  over  it,  for  two  hours,  to  the 
imminent  danger  of  our  necks,  dislocation  of  our 
ancles,  and  destruction  of  oar  clothing,  we  came  to 
better  footing.  We  were  now  crossing  the  eastern 
spur  of  Mauna  Loa,  through  a  forest  of  dwarf  ohia 
trees.  The  rain,  which  had  been  lowering  all  the 
morning,  now  began  to  pour,  and  soon  thoroughly 
drenched  us.  At  four  o'clock  we  passed,  on  our  left, 
quite  a  lake  of  water,  a  curiosity  for  this  island,  but 
owing  to  the  storm  could  not  stop  to  examine  it.  At 
five,  having  found  a  cave,  we  concluded  to  encamp 
for  the  night,  having  been  on  foot  twelve  hours, 
though,  owing  to  the  badness  of  the  road,  our  pro 
gress  was  not  more  than  fifteen  miles.  The  cave 
was  but  three  feet  high,  and  a  couple  of  rods  in  depth. 
The  rain  was  leaking  through  the  roof,  leaving  us 
the  choice  only  between  ivet  or  wetter  ground. 
However,  having  crawled  in,  we  soon  disposed  of 
ourselves  for  the  night,  with  the  consoling  prospect 
of  having  a  cold  or  rheumatism  to  accompany  us  the 
remainder  of  the  trip.  Scarcely  had  we  got  asleep, 
when  we  were  awakened,  all  but  suffocated  with 
smoke  ;  jumping  up,  we  found  our  natives  had  made 
a  fire  of  wet  wood  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  and  were 


MAMMOTH    RASPBERRIES.  235 

coolly  sitting  at  the  windward  and  seeing  us  gasping 
for  breath.  The  way  natives  and  fire-brands  went 
out  of  the  cave,  will  prove  a  caution  to  them  not  to 
attempt  to  convert  any  future  travellers  into  bacon. 
The  former  sought  a  new  fire-place.  Lying  down 
again,  we  passed  a  tolerable  night,  and  awoke  in  the 
morning  with  merely  a  soreness  in  .our  limbs,  which 
exercise  soon  wore  off.  At  this  height,  five  thousand 
feet,  the  thermometer  was  thirty-eight  degrees,  indi 
cating  a  low  average  temperature  for  this  region  ; 
such  being  the  cold  of  a  My  morning. 

The  day  was  the  fourth,  and  was  ushered  in  by  a 
bright  sun  and  hearty  cheers.  The  travelling  im 
proved  greatly,  and,  having  reached  the  summit  of 
an  intervening  spur,  we  had  a  distinct,  though  distant? 
view  of  the  volcano.  Steam  and  smoke  were  issuing 
from  it,  and,  from  our  point  of  view,  its  vast  depth 
and  circumference  were  conspicuous.  It  looked  an 
epitome  of  that  pit,  whose  smoke  ascendeth  for  ever. 
Strong  breezes  drove  its  murky  gases  and  vapors 
round  and  round  its  sides,  until  they  circled  high 
into  the  air,  and  disappeared  before  fresher  blasts. 
A  little  farther  on,  we  discovered  large  beds  of  de 
licious  strawberries,  and  tall  raspberry  bushes ;  in 
deed,  with  propriety,  when  compared  with  our  own, 
they  might  be  called  trees.  They  were  loaded  with 
fruit,  of  a  size  which  equally  astonished  and  gratified 
us.  Incredible  as  it  may  appear,  some  were  actu 
ally  five  inches  in  circumference,  and  all  enormously 
large.  They  were  exceedingly  juicy,  and  to  us  their 
flavor,  in  the  first  moment  of  devouring  them,  seemed 
luscious  ;  but  after  our  appetites  were  satiated,  and  we 


236  EFFECTS  OF  A  TORNADO,  OR  EARTHQUAKE. 

began  to  be  captious  in  our  selections,  a  slightly 
bitter  or  pungent  flavor  was  detected,  caused,  per 
haps,  by  the  nature  of  the  soil,  which  was  thin,  and 
wholly  volcanic.  Their  quality,  and  even  dimen 
sions,  would  doubtless  be  much  improved  by  cul 
tivation. 

The  country  was  open,  with  a  gentle  declivity  to 
wards  the  crater,  until  within  five  miles  of  it,  when 
we  entered  a  dense  forest  of  very  large  timber,  cov 
ered  with  arborescent  ferns.  Either  a  whirlwind  or 
earthquake  had  occurred  recently,  for  the  ground  was 
strewed  with  overgrown  trees,  some  of  which  were 
four  to  five  feet  in  diameter.  All  were  torn  up  by 
their  roots,  and  they  lay,  with  their  trunks,  roots,  and 
branches,  so  entangled,  as  to  form  a  rude  chevaux 
de  frise,  both  tedious  and  difficult  to  penetrate. 
Crawling  over  their  limbs,  slimy  and  snarled  as  they 
were  with  ferns,  mosses,  and  parasitical  vines,  was 
far  preferable,  however,  to  stumbling  over  the  horri 
ble  clinkers,  when,  at  every  step,  one's  knees  are 
trembling  beneath  him,  and  he  dares  not  use  his 
hands  to  aid  his  course  for  fear  of  gashing  them  upon 
the  vitrified  edges  of  the  broken  rocks. 

Emerging  from  the  forest,  we  skirted  the  woods  in 
an  easterly  direction  for  a  mile  or  so,  and  then  struck 
off  at  a  right  angle  for  a  few  rods,  when  we  arrived 
upon  the  brink  of  an  old  crater  of  great  size.  Twenty- 
feet  descent  carried  us  into  its  basin,  where  we  crossed 
two  great  rents  in  the  earth,  of  which  no  termination 
could  be  seen.  Their  sides  were  covered  with  ferns, 
and  they  were  five  feet  in  width.  An  eighth  of  a 
mile  off  there  was  another  declivity,  which  formed 


VOLCANO    OF    KILAUEA,  237 

the  outer  edge  of  Lua  Pele.  Descending  this,  a  short 
run  brought  us  breathless  to  the  brink  of  the  volcano. 
We  were  prepared  to  feel  disappointment  at  first 
sight,  but  I  must  confess,  that  this  view  came  far  be 
neath  our  expectations.  '  Can  this  be  the  mighty 
crater  of  which  we  have  read  and  heard  so  much  ? 
There  must  be  some  mistake.'  And  we  inquired 
of  our  guide  again  and  again  if  there  were  no  other. 
Where  were  the  flames,  the  boiling  cauldrons,  the 
fiery  foam,  the  booming  waves,  the  bubbling  lava, 
the  deep,  unearthly  bellowings,  the  awful  and  sub 
lime  ;  where  were  they  ?  Our  eyes  rested  upon  a 
mere  mass  of  smouldering  ruins. 

The  expectations  of  those  who  have  formed  their 
ideas  of  volcanoes  from  the  stereotyped  representa 
tions  of  Vesuvius  and  ^Etna,  with  their  conical  sides 
and  narrowed  top,  lava  red  and  liquid  running  like 
rivers  down  its  sides,  stones  and  rocks  soaring  like 
feathers  in  the  air,  and  volumes  of  steam  and  smoke, 
larger  than  the  mountains  themselves,  ascending  yet 
higher,  will  not  be  realized.  Lua  Pele,  or  Kilauea, 
is  unlike  anything  of  the  kind,  and  stands  by  itself, 
an  anomaly  in  nature  ;  the  mightiest  and  most  won 
derful  of  earth's  safety-valves.  As  we  gazed,  its 
immensity  grew  upon  us.  More  and  more  we  re 
alized  its  vastness  ;  the  stupendous  area  of  the  whole 
became  more  apparent  by  analyzing  its  parts.  Ve 
suvius  might  easily  have  lost  itself  in  that  pit.  All 
was  black,  with  occasional  gleamings  of  red,  like  the 
forkings  of  lightning  in  a  dense  thunder-cloud.  It 
looked  like  the  ruins  of  some  mighty  conflagration, 
from  which  the  smoke  and  flame  still  rose,  and  at 


238  A    DANGEROUS    LODGING-PLACE. 

any  moment  liable  to  break  out  again,  fiercer  than 
before.  At  the  farther  extremity,  a  bright  light 
showed  itself,  like  the  flickering  flame  of  half  extin 
guished  embers,  and  all  was  silent  except  the  occa 
sional  hissing  of  gases  and  steam.  I  thought  of 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and  the  cities  of  the  plain- 
They  must  have  appeared  like  this,  before  the  waters 
flowed  in  and  buried  them  for  ever.  After  gazing 
until  nightfall,  we  hastened  to  the  hut,  where  we  were 
to  sleep,  a  mere  shelter  of  roots  and  grass  thrown 
upon  a  few  sticks,  and  covered  on  the  windward  side 
only.  It  was  but  three  feet  from  the  brink  of  a  per 
pendicular  precipice  of  four  hundred  feet,  a  portion 
of  which  had  lately  slid  down  part  way,  and  hung 
threateningly  over  the  remainder.  Back  of  it  was  a 
crack  in  the  earth,  through  which  the  steam  con 
stantly  escaped.  So  occupied  were  we  with  the 
scene  before  us,  that  the  danger  to  which  we  were 
exposed  in  sleeping  here  did  not  occur  to  us  until 
we  were  ready  to  leave  the  crater,  and  the  excitement 
was  over.  A  slight  shock  of  earthquake,  and  we 
should  have  known  nothing  more.  However,  having 
supped,  we  spread  our  blankets,  with  our  heads 
towards  the  abyss,  to  be  prepared  for  any  display 
which  might  occur  during  the  night,  which  closed  in 
with  a  cold,  drizzling  rain.  The  wind  blew  in  fu 
rious  squalls,  threatening,  at  every  gust,  to  drive  our 
frail  shelter  into  the  pit  below.  In  the  chasm,  along 
its  walls,  and  through  the  numberless  rents  and  gal 
leries  of  the  superincumbent  rock,  the  blast  howled 
dismally ;  at  times,  dying  away  like  the  moan  of 
some  wounded  animal ;  and  then  again  giving  a 


STORM    AND    ERUPTION    AT    NIGHT.  239 

fitful  shriek,  as  it  whirled  through  some  narrow  pass, 
and  echoed  itself  from  a  hundred  others.  The  storm- 
spirit  was  abroad,  and  triumphantly  careered  over 
the  habitation  of  the  fierce  goddess,  daring  her  to  the 
contest.  Her  response  was  sullen  and  ominous. 
The  hitherto  quiet  crater  at  intervals  threw  up  col 
umns  of  hot  steam,  stones,  and  ashes,  accompanied 
with  loud  reports,  resembling  the  discharges  of  heavy 
artillery  in  a  confined  place.  Occasionally,  the  fires 
at  the  farther  extremity  would  gleam  up  with  con 
siderable  brilliancy ;  excepting  this,  nothing  was  to 
be  seen,  through  the  darkness,  but  the  outlines  of  the 
chasm  before  us,  and  the  whirling  mist  and  smoke, 
reflecting  the  glare  of  the  fires. 

What  with  the  rain  and  cold,  it  was  an  uncom 
fortable  night ;  the  scene  itself  was  too  novel  and 
exciting  to  allow  either  the  body  or  imagination  to 
slumber.  Occasionally  I  fell  into  a  doze,  from  which 
a  gleam  from  some  new  fire,  or  a  violent  explosion, 
aroused  me.  On  such  occasions,  straining  my  eyes 
to  pierce  the  turmoil  beneath,  I  ceased  to  wonder 
that  native  intellect  had  peopled  a  place  like  this 
with  strange  and  fearful  beings.  It  was  a  fit  habita 
tion  for  their  malignant  deities.  If  the  Christian,  in 
this  scene,  pictures  to  himself  hell  and  its  torments, 
and  how  often  has  it  been  thus  likened,  is  the  savage 
to  be  blamed,  who  sees  in  it  strange  shapes,  and  fiery 
halls,  the  lakes,  the  palaces,  and  dwelling-places  of  his 
devils  ?  Pele,  the  consuming  goddess,  insatiable  as 
her  element,  the  fire  itself,  '  the  rain  of  night,'  '  the 
king  of  vapor.'  '  the  thundering  god,'  *  heaven  dwell 
ing  cloud-holder,'  '  fiery-eyed  canoe-breaker,'  these, 


240  STEAM    FISSURES. 

and  many  others,  with  names  alike  expressive  of  the 
varied  actions  of  the  crater,  here,  according  to  Ha 
waiian  mythology,  hold  their  court.  They  have 
gone  from  the  minds  of  men,  but  their  abode  re 
mains  unchanged.  Their  requiem  was  borne  to 
our  ears  in  the  driving  storm,  the  whistling  wind, 
the  fire  and  smoke,  and  all  that  was  furious  and  de 
structive.  The  morning  of  the  fifth  broke  as  the 
previous  evening  had  commenced,  but  the  sun  soon 
dispelled  much  of  the  rnist,  and  left  us  a  pleasant 
day  for  our  researches.  Thermometer,  58  degrees. 
The  plain  on  the  north  is  much  split  up  by  fissures, 
from  which  steam  continually  issues,  hot  enough  to 
cook  meat  or  vegetables.  In  a  few  places  it  con 
denses  and  forms  excellent  drinking  water.  Four 
species  of  very  palatable  berries  grew  here  abun 
dantly,  commonly  called  *  huckleberries,'  though 
they  have  but  little  resemblance  in  flavor,  and  none  in 
color,  to  that  fruit.  To  the  northeast  of  this  plain, 
we  find  sulphur  banks  several  hundred  yards  in  ex 
tent,  and  about  twenty  feet  high.  The  gases  were 
not  powerful,  and  by  digging  into  the  earth,  which 
was  hot,  soft,  and  greasy,  we  obtained  some  beauti 
ful  specimens  of  sulphur,  in  all  its  different  forms, 
the  best  of  which,  however,  soon  lost  their  beauty  by 
exposure  to  the  air.  The  efflorescences  at  the  mouth 
of  the  crevices  were  exceedingly  delicate  and  beau 
tiful.  These  banks  appear  to  be  volcanic  rock,  de 
composed  by  sulphuric  acids,  for  it  is  to  be  seen  in 
all  its  stages,  from  the  hard  rock  to  the  soft  paste. 
An  hours  steaming  here  dissipated  all  the  pain  and 
soreness  which  we  felt  from  our  exposure  to  the 
weather. 


SULPHUR  BEDS  AND  BATH.  241 

We  estimated  the  circumference  of  the  whole 
crater  at.  five  miles,  the  western  side  of  which  was 
the  highest ;  but  in  no  place  did  the  depth  to  ihe 
black  ledge  exceed  five  hundred  feet.  It  is  more 
oval  than  circular,  its  greatest  breadih  being  from 
northeast  to  southwest,  and  is  aptly  termed  by  the 
natives  Lua  Pele,  (Pele's  Pit,)  for  it  is  nothing  but 
an  immense  hole,  which  the  fire  has  eaten  in  the 
ground.  The  natives  have  no  other  tradition  of  its 
origin,  than  that  it  has  been  burning  from  the  time 
<  of  chaos  '  until  now,  gradually  extending  itself  lat 
erally  and  perpendicularly.  Formerly,  it  overflowed 
its  banks,  and  the  reign  of  each  of  their  kings  has 
witnessed  destructive  eruptions. 

Count  Strzelecki  makes  the  north-northeast  cliff 
four  thousand  one  hundred  and  one  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea;  Douglas,  three  thousand  eight  hun 
dred  and  seventy-four.  In  descending  to  the  black 
ledge,  at  the  northeast  extremity,  the  path  winds 
round  an  old  crater,  small  and  steep  on  all  sides  ; 
its  bottom  is  covered  with  masses  of  large  rocks, 
shaken  down  by  earthquakes,  and  large  trees  are  also 
growing  in  it,  indicating  a  long  repose. 

Following  this  path,  we  soon  arrived  on  the  ledge, 
which  appeared  like  a  field  of  ice  breaking  up  in  the 
spring.  It  varied  from  five  hundred  to  two  thousand 
feet  in  width,  and  then  abruptly  terminated  in  craggy 
and  overhanging  precipices,  which  had  split  and 
burst  in  every  direction,  from  the  action  of  the  fire 
beneath.  The  main  body  of  the  crater  had  settled 
down  from  the  black  ledge,  in  some  places  gradual 
ly,  until  its  own  weight  burst  it  violently  from  the 
21 


242  EXTENT    OF    CRATER. 

edge,  leaving  gaping  chasms,  the  sides  of  which  were 
intensely  heated  ;  at  others,  it  appeared  to  have  sunk 
instantaneously,  tearing  away  and  undermining  the 
ledge,  and  leaving  precipices  of  two  hundred  feet  in 
height.  The  greatest  depth  was  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet.  The  lakes,  cones,  and  forges  remain 
ed,  but  were  emptied  of  lava,  and  quiet,  emitting 
nothing  but  smoke,  excepting  a  lake  at  the  south 
western  extremity,  of  which  a  bend  in  the  ledge  hid 
from  our  view  all  but  the  rising  flames.  Evidently, 
a  short  time  before,  the  ledge  had  been  overflowed, 
as  the  lava  was  piled  in  masses  twenty  feet  high  or 
more,  on  its  outer  edge,  gradually  decreasing  in 
height  as  it  rolled  in  immense  waves  from  it ;  and, 
without  doubt,  the  whole  mass  had  been  raised,  as 
we  could  now  stand  upon  it  and  pluck  ferns  from 
the  bank.  We  walked  around  the  crater  on  the 
black  ledge,  endeavoring  to  find  a  place  where  it 
would  be  practicable  to  descend,  but  the  banks  were 
everywhere  too  much  broken  up  to  admit  of  it.  In 
dependently  of  that,  they  were  so  heated,  that  the 
brink  could  only  be  approached  in  a  few  places,  and 
these  only  at  great  risk.  It  was  cracked  into  great 
chasms,  from  a  few  feet  to  a  rod  in  width,  to  which 
no  bottom  could  be  seen,  and  in  places  large  masses 
had  swollen  up,  and  then  tumbled  in,  like  the  burst 
ing  of  an  air  bubble,  or  the  falling  in  of  a  vast  dome. 
The  hollow,  echoing  sound  beneath  our  feet,  showed 
the  insecurity  of  where  we  trod,  and  liability  to  give 
way,  and  precipitate  us  at  any  moment  to  instanta 
neous  death  ;  and  I  must  confess,  that  it  was  with 
fear  that  I  walked  along  this  path  of  destruction. 


DANGERS    OF    EXPLORATION.  243 

On  the  surface  of  the  ledge  the  rock  was  black  and 
very  vesicular,  but  as  it  descended  it  grew  more 
compact,  and  became  of  a  white  or  leadish  color. 
From  all  these  pits  and  chasms  a  white  flickering 
flame  ascended,  so  hot  in  one  place  that  we  attempt 
ed  to  cross  as  to  singe  the  hair  from  our  hands,  and 
scorch  our  clothing.  Nothing  but  a  precipitate  re 
treat  saved  us  from  being  enveloped  in  flames.  The 
hot  air  would  frequently  flash  up  from  the  fissures 
without  warning,  and  it  required  much  caution  and 
agility  to  escape  from  it.  The  thermometer,  over  one 
fissure,  rose  to  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  degrees  ; 
on  the  ledge,  five  hundred  feet  from  ihe  brink,  three 
feet  above  the  ground,  ninety-seven  degrees  ;  on  the 
lava  at  the  same  place,  one  hundred  and  twenty-three 
degrees  ;  two  feet  above  a  fissure,  one  hundred  and 
forty-eight  degrees  ;  eighteen  inches  below  the  sur 
face,  it  rose  instantly  to  one  hundred  and  sixty-six 
degrees.  Continual  heavy  explosions  were  occurring 
on  the  sides,  sounding  like  muffled  artillery,  throwing 
up  stones,  ashes,  and  hot  steam  two  hundred  feet  or 
more  into  the  air,  and  rending  away  the  banks,  tum 
bled  large  masses  of  rock  into  the  crater  beneath. 
Indeed,  the  whole  black  ledge  appeared  like  a  mere 
crust,  the  igneous  action  beneath  having  eaten  away 
its  support,  and  which  the  slightest  shock  would 
precipitate  into  the  gulf  beneath,  and  thus  restore  the 
crater  to  its  ancient  limits. 

Small  cones  and  diminutive  piles  of  lava  were 
scattered  over  its  whole  surface,  where  they  had  sud 
denly  rose  and  as  quickly  cooled.  They  had  as 
sumed  many  fantastic,  and  even  beautiful  shapes ; 


244         APPEARANCE  OF  THE  CRATER. 

and  their  hues  were  singularly  brilliant  and  varied. 
On  the  southeast  and  south  sides,  lava  had  gushed 
laterally  from  the  bank,  and  flowed  down  from  the 
ledge.  Near  here  are  the  sulphur  hills,  from  which 
the  finest  specimens  are  obtained.  They  were  pret 
tily  coated  with  fine  white,  blue,  and  green  salts,  but 
owing  to  the  intense  heat  and  suffocating  fumes  of 
the  gases,  we  were  unable  to  secure  many.  A  little 
farther  on,  we  found  the  lava  fissures  incrusted  with 
the  most  beautiful  crystals  and  efflorescences,  which 
had  condensed  into  every  variety  of  form  and  figure, 
but  too  delicate  to  bear  exposure  to  the  atmosphere. 
Having  reached  the  southern  extremity,  we  obtained 
our  first  view  of  the  lake,  the  light  of  which  had  at 
tracted  our  attention  the  previous  night.  It  was  sev 
eral  hundred  yards  in  circumference,  and  in  the  most 
sunken  part  of  the  cauldron.  The  lava  was  twenty 
feet  below  its  banks,  a  liquid  body,  boiling,  bubbling, 
and  thrashing  in  great  fury.  Occasionally,  it  would 
become  incrusted  over,  and  then  red  streaks  would 
shoot  rapidly  across  its  surface,  leaving  a  momentary 
glimmer  like  that  of  meteors.  In  the  centre,  the 
lava  was  tossed  high  into  the  air,  with  a  puffing,  splut 
tering  noise,  like  the  blast  of  a  heavy  bellows,  min 
gled  with  the  roar  of  surf.  Its  color  was  livid,  much 
resembling  clotted  blood,  of  which  the  whole  might 
be  taken  for  an  immense  hell-brewed  cauldron,  and 
the  unearthly  noises  for  the  moans  of  agonized 
spirits,  and  the  fiendish  cries  of  their  tormentors. 
The  effect  upon  the  imagination  was  powerful,  and 
the  reality  horrible  and  hellish,  beyond  description. 
To  the  leeward,  the  gases  were  strong,  requiring 


A    PERILOUS    SITUATION.  245 

much  caution  to  avoid  the  stifling  currents  of  heated 
air.  On  the  northwest  side,  filamentose  lava,  com 
monly  called  Pele's  hair,  was  thickly  strewed  for 
many  acres,  like  a  field  of  mown  grass. 

Mr.  C.  and  myself,  having  performed  the  circuit 
until  we  were  underneath  where  our  hut  stood,  where 
the  bank,  having  given  way  to  a  considerable  height, 
formed  a  steep  hill,  which  appeared  quite  practicable 
of  ascent,  we  proposed  to  shorten  the  distance  by 
climbing  up  at  this  spot.  No  sooner  thought  of,  than 
we  made  the  attempt,  and  reached  the  first  two  hun 
dred  feet  without  any  difficulty.  Here,  the  summit 
being  hid  from  us,  we  held  a  consultation  whether 
to  proceed  or  not.  Upon  looking  down,  we  saw  our 
natives  gazing  in  astonishment  at  us,  and  urging  us 
to  return,  saying  that  it  was  impossible  for  us  to 
reach  the  top,  and  nothing  but  a  bird  could.  How 
ever,  like  all  obstinate  personages,  we  did  not  like  to 
retrace  our  steps,  so  we  pushed  ahead.  A  few  rods 
more  climbing  brought  us  to  the  perpendicular  face 
of  the  rock,  or  rather  rocks,  which  were  loosely  im 
bedded  in  earth,  and  relieved  only  by  some  jutting 
points,  and  a  few  roots,  on  which  but  little  depend 
ence  could  be  placed.  We  were  now  so  high,  that 
it  was  impossible  to  descend,  as  we  could  not  see 
where  to  place  our  feet  beneath  us,  and  the  slightest 
look  downwards  might  make  us  loosen  our  hold 
and  be  dashed  to  pieces.  Not  the  least  danger  was, 
that  one  of  us  might  loosen  a  stone,  which  starting 
would  draw  down  an  avalanche  of  others,  and  our 
selves  with  them.  By  looking  up,  zigzagging  along 
the  edges  of  the  rocks,  and  bearing  our  weight  equal- 
21* 


246  AN    EARTHQUAKE. 

ly  as  possible  on  all  parts  of  our  bodies,  we  drew 
ourselves  slowly  up,  until  we  were  within  ten  feet  of 
the  top.  Here  we  met  with  the  *  unkindest  cut  of 
all.'  The  rock  was  the  smoothest,  and  just  at  the 
rising  of  the  brink,  hot  steam  issued  from  it,  making 
the  earth  scalding  and  slippery.  Mr.  C.,  being  ahead, 
and  blessed  with  the  longest  legs,  managed,  by  bear 
ing  his  whole  weight  upon  a  projecting  point  of  rock, 
not  three  inches  in  diameter,  to  make  a  spring,  and 
at  the  same  time  clawing  into  the  soft  earth,  he 
reached  the  summit  with  only  burnt  fingers.  He 
then  laid  down  upon  his  back,  with  his  arms  over 
his  head,  clinging  to  roots,  and  dangled  his  legs  over 
the  precipice  to  assist  me.  Following  his  steps,  I 
hitched  myself  up,  and  making  a  grab  at  his  toes, 
was  safely  toed  to  the  bank.  It  was  not  until  we 
were  in  perfect  safety,  that  we  realized  the  full  extent 
of  our  danger,  and  our  consummate  folly  in  rush 
ing  into  it.  The  slightest  misstep,  or  want  of  pres 
ence  of  rnind,  would  have  hurried  us  to  immediate 
death  ;  and,  while  we  felt  grateful  for  our  escape, 
we  vowed  another  time,  '  to  look  before  we  climbed.' 
In  the  excitement  of  visiting  this  wonderful  phe 
nomenon,  its  real  dangers  are  overlooked,  and  many 
unnecessary  risks  undergone.  No  accident  has  as 
yet  happened,  but  some  escapes  have  been  little  short 
of  miraculous.  Two  gentlemen,  a  number  of  years 
since,  \vere  in  the  heart  of  the  crater,  examining  the 
burning  cauldron,  when  a  rumbling  noise  was  heard, 
and  an  earthquake  felt.  The  rocks  began  to  rattle 
down  the  sides  of  the  chasm,  and  the  ground  be 
neath  them  was  so  unsteady,  that  they  could  not 


AN    ESCAPE.  247 

leave  the  spot  where  they  were.  Providentially,  it 
was  slight,  and  soon  over,  and  no  eruption  followed. 
In  January,  1841,  Dr.  G.  P.  Judd  descended  the 
crater,  for  the  purpose  of  procuring  some  of  the  liquid 
lava.  Not  being  able  to  reach  it  at  the  Great  Lake, 
he  ventured  into  a  smaller  one,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  there  was  a  small  stream.  It  appeared  very 
quiet,  the  banks  were  steep,  and  he  found  some 
difficulty  in  reaching  it.  Having  obtained  a  frying-pan 
full,  he  had  returned  to  within  a  few  feet  of  its  brink, 
the  steepest  part,  when  a  roar  and  a  hissing  noise 
alarmed  him  ;  a  stream  of  lava  in  a  narrow  column 
was  forced  up  into  the  air,  far  above  his  head,  and 
descended  in  a  shower  all  around.  Much  alarmed, 
he  shouted  for  help.  All  of  the  natives  near  by  ran 
away,  except  one,  who  threw  himself  upon  his 
stomach,  and,  grasping  the  Doctor's  hand,  assisted 
him  out.  But,  before  this  was  accomplished,  the 
lava  rose  so  rapidly,  that  the  heat  from  it  burned  his 
clothes,  and  blistered  the  face  and  hands  of  the  na 
tive.  They  were  no  sooner  on  their  feet,  than  the 
lava  overflowed,  and  they  were  obliged  to  run  with 
all  speed,  to  avoid  being  overtaken  by  the  torrent. 
A  narrower  escape  from  a  more  horrible  death,  it  is 
difficult  to  conceive. 

It  is  a  common  remark,  that  travellers  visiting  the 
volcano,  even  at  short  intervals,  never  see  it  under 
similr.r  circumstances,  and  consequently  are  apt  to 
discredit  previous  statements.  A  moment's  reflec 
tion  should  convince  them,  that  with  such  a  mighty 
engine  of  nature,  exercising  in  their  highest  degree 
the  combined  powers  of  fire,  heated  air,  and  steam, 


248     DIFFERENT    APPEARANCES    OF    THE    CRATER. 

and  continually  in  action,  great  changes  are  mo 
mentarily  liable  to  occur;  and  that  they  do,  these  very 
discrepances  bear  ample  testimony.  It  would  be  an 
interesting  point  gained  in  geological  science,  if 
some  observing  man  could  reside  in  the  neighbor 
hood  and  note  the  various  changes,  at  the  periods  of 
their  occurrence. 

I  have  endeavored  to  present  a  faithful  picture  of 
it  as  it  appeared  at  our  visit,  and  it  evidently 
differs  much  from^all  preceding  descriptions.  Doug 
las  makes  the  depth  of  the  crater,  in  1834,  one  thou 
sand  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet.  At  the 
present  time  it  had  filled  up  one  half,  and  the  black 
ledge  which  had  been  gradually  rising,  was  in  some 
places,  within  three  hundred  feet  of  the  top,  while 
former  accounts  state  it  at  eight  hundred.  A  few 
years  since,  the  basin  was  much  in  its  present  state, 
like  the  inside  of  a  bowl.  A  foreigner  who  visited 
it  a  week  only  before  the  late  eruption,  described  it 
as  resembling  a  dome,  there  being  a  gradual  ascent 
from  the  sides  to  the  centre  ;  the  lava  having  over 
flowed  the  whole  of  the  black  ledge,  the  limits  of 
which  could  not  be  traced.  The  whole  surface  was 
in  violent  action,  thickly  indented  with  fiery  lakes, 
and  crowned  with  puffing  cones,  and  forges,  whose 
bases  were  lashed  by  burning  waves,  and  the  whole 
accompanied  with  dreadful  noises.  Had  not  the 
liquid  lava  found  a  vent  by  pushing  its  way  through 
subterranean  galleries  until  it  met  with  a  weak  spot, 
which  its  gravity  soon  forced  through,  and  running 
out  until  the  fiery  mass  in  the  crater  subsided  to  a 
level  with  the  outlet,  it  might  have  risen  to  the  top, 


VOLCANIC    ACTION.  249 

and  overflowing,  destroyed  all  that  portion  of  the 
island.  The  immense  lateral  pressure  which  must 
exist,  increasing  as  the  crater  fills  up,  will  probably 
prevent  any  great  and  sudden  disaster  of  this  kind, 
by  forcing  an  outlet  toward  the  sea,  as  it  did  in  this 
instance.  Though  so  much  has  drained  out,  an  im 
mense  body  still  remains  in  the  volcano.  On  the 
second  night  of  our  stay,  the  fires  were  much  more 
brilliant,  and  the  reports  more  frequent. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact,  that  on  all  the  islands  the 
general  course  of  volcanic  action  is  southeasterly, 
or  rather,  the  craters  form  a  chain  from  the  north- 
west  to  the  southeast.  On  Hawaii,  Mauna  Kea  ap 
pears  to  have  been  extinguished  first,  then  Hualalai. 
Mauna  Loa  has  probably  fire  still  beneath,  though  it 
has  gradually  cooled  down  by  forming  a  series  of 
lateral  craters,  extending  from  the  great  one  on  its 
summit  to  Kilauea,  which  is  now  the  great  fountain 
head.  Kilauea  is  pushing  itself  easterly,  as  the 
late  eruption  bears  witness,  and  the  whole  earth  in 
that  direction  is  doubtless  pierced  with  galleries, 
which  carry  off  the  superabundant  lava  ;  and  when 
the  ground  becomes  too  weak  to  bear  the  pressure, 
it  forces  its  way  to  the  surface,  and  flows  until  it 
creates  a  common  level  at  Kilauea.  The  several 
eruptions  can  easily  be  traced  towards  the  sea ;  and 
a  series  of  lateral  craters  also,  some  of  considerable 
extent,  which  no  doubt  have  been  fed  from  Kilauea. 
One,  six  miles  to  the  east,  is  a  mile  in  diameter,  and 
emits  smoke  and  sulphurous  gases. 

It  is  a  common  remark,  that  Kauai  is  the  oldest 
island,  and  that  the  others  have  been  successively 


250  STRUCTURE    OF    HAWAII. 

thrown  up  from  the  ocean.  In  confirmation  of  this, 
we  meet  on  that  island  a  greater  depth  of  soil,  more 
vegetation,  and  far  more  arable  land  in  proportion  to 
its  extent,  than  on  the  others,  while  at  its  south 
eastern  extremity  only,  exist  two  small  craters.  Age 
has  reduced  others  (if  such  there  were)  to  the  level 
of  the  surrounding  soil,  or  clothed  them  with  forests, 
so  that  their  limits  are  undistinguishable.  On  Oahu, 
the  traces  of  volcanic  action  become  more  numerous, 
and  the  craters  larger,  while  on  Maui  the  principal 
one  forms  a  mountain  of  ten  thousand  feet  elevation. 
But  it  is  not  until  we  reach  Hawaii,  that  this  terrible 
agency  assumes  its  grandest  and  most  sublime  forms. 
Of  the  age  of  this  island  we  can  only  conjecture  ; 
it  may  have  been  coeval  with  the  flood,  or  have  been 
formed  since  the  Christian  era.  Certainly  no  one 
can  view  the  mighty  ruins  of  nature,  and  the  process 
of  creation  and  destruction,  as  it  were  in  perpetual 
contest,  without  realizing  the  truth  of  the  transitory 
existence  of  this  earth,  and  that  the  day  may  be  not 
far  distant  when  indeed  'the  elements  shall  melt 
with  fervent  heat.'  Hawaii  is  fearful  ground  to  tread 
upon.  We  are  amazed  at  beholding  the  visible 
fires  of  Kilauea  and  their  terrific  action,  but  what 
are  they,  but  a  mere  speck,  in  comparison  with  the 
immensity  and  power  of  the  force  required  to  raise 
up  mountains  of  three  miles  perpendicular  elevation, 
with  bases  of  one  thousand  five  hundred  square 
leagues.  Hawraii  was  formed  by  continual  and  re 
peated  eruptions,  depositing  layer  of  rock  upon 
layer,  until  it  attained  its  present  elevation  ;  and  for 
aught  we  know  the  same  action  is  still  going  on,  at 


HAWAII    A    VAST    GLOBE    OF    FIRE.  251. 

present  quietly,  but  ready  at  any  moment  to  burst 
out  arid  overwhelm  its  unsuspecting  inhabitants. 
There  cannot  be  a  doubt  that  to  a  great  extent  the 
interior  of  Hawaii  is  a  vast  globe  of  fire,  against 
the  sides  of  which  the  liquefied  rocks  dash  their  fiery 
spray,  and  roll  with  unceasing  noise  ;  and  were  it 
not  for  the  number  and  magnitude  of  its  vents,  it 
would  be  shaken  to  pieces  by  successive  earthquakes. 
Those  who  live  amid  these  scenes  scarce  bestow  a 
thought  upon  the  dangers  which  environ  them.  But 
Vesuvius  after  having  been  dormant  for  one  thou 
sand  years,  revived,  and  buried  several  cities  in  its 
devastating  streams;  and  the  inhabitants  of  Catania, 
in  Sicily,  regarded  as  fables  the  historical  accounts 
of  previous  eruptions  of  .^Etna,  until  they  were 
themselves  overwhelmed  in  a  sudden  and  instanta 
neous  destruction.  In  many  places  where  volcanoes 
have  become  overgrown  with  wood,  and  covered 
even  with  elegant  villas,  they  have  with  scarce  a 
warning  burst  forth  and  laid  waste  whole  districts, 
as  in  1812,  at  St.  Vincents.  West  Indies,  where 
nearly  all  the  plantations  on  that  island  were  de 
stroyed,  the  lava  flowing  so  rapidly  as  to  reach  the 
sea  in  four  hours.  When  this  eruption  took  place, 
the  earthquakes  at  Caracas,  four  hundred  miles  dis 
tant,  ceased,  evidently  showing  that  there  was  a  con 
nection  between  the  two  places.  With  such  prece 
dents  it  would  certainly  not  be  astonishing,  if  any 
of  these  craters,  which  are  at  present  quiescent, 
should  at  any  moment  burst  forth,  and  renew  sim 
ilar  scenes  of  desolation;  and  even  Kauai  may  give 
vent  by  some  submarine  communication  to  the  fires 
of  Hawaii. 


252  THE    GREAT    MOUNTAIN. 

July  6.  Although  it  was  now  midsummer,  the 
weather  continued  cold  and  stormy.  Upon  assem 
bling  our  men,  we  found  them  in  a  state  of  mutiny, 
refusing  to  go  further,  and  threatening  to  leave  us 
instanter.  The  day  before,  we  had  been  too  much 
occupied  in  exploring  to  have  a  care  for  them,  and 
they  had  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity  to 
devour  the  remainder  of  the  food.  For  five  days 
they  had  averaged  eleven  pounds'  weight  of  fish  and 
poi  to  each  man;  a  consumption  which  as  many 
Esquimaux  could  not  exceed.  We  had  not  antic 
ipated  vile  ingratitude  from  kanakas  on  such  a  diet ; 
but  so  it  proved,  and  we  were  obliged  to  forego  the 
ascent  of  Mauna  Loa,  and  proceed  at  once  to  Hilo. 

The  ascent  of  Mauna  Loa  was  to  us  an  object  of 
great  interest,  in  order  to  satisfy  ourselves  by  actual 
observation  of  the  accuracy  of  Douglas's  account.  In 
his  journal  he  differs  much  from  the  statements  made 
by  himself  in  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  London.  We 
give  the  extract  as  published  in  his  Memoir: 

4  The  red -faced  man,  who  cut  off  the  limbs  of  men  and  gathered  grass, 
is  still  known  here;  and  the  people  say  thai  he  climbed  Mauna  Loa. 
No  one,  however,  has  since  done  so,  until  I  went  up  a  short  while 
ago.*  The  journey  took  me  seventeen  days.  On  the  summit  of 
this  extraordinary  mountain  is  a  volcano,  nearly  twenty-four  miles 
in  circumference,  and  at  present  in  terrific  activity.  You  must  not 
confound  this  with  the  one  situated  on  the  flanks  of  Mauna  Loa, 
and  spoken  of  by  the  missionaries  and  Lord  Byron,  and  which  I 
visited  also.  It  is  difficult  to  attempt  describing  such  an  immense 
place  The  spectator  is  lost  in  terror  and  admiration  et  beholding 
an  enormous  sunken  pit,  (for  it  differs  from  all  our  notions  of  vol 
canoes,  as  possessing  cone  shaped  summits  with  terminal  openings.) 
five  miles  square  of  which  is  a  lake  of  liquid  fire,  in  a  state  of 
ebullition,  sometimes  tranquil,  at  other  times  rolling  its  blazing 
waves  with  furious  agitation,  and  casting  them  upwards  in  columns 
of  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  high.  In  places,  the 
hardened  lava  assumes  the  form  of  gothic  arches  in  a  colossal 

*Mr.  Goodrich,  an  American  missionary,  ascended  it  previously  to  this 


DOUGLAS'S  DESCRIPTION.  253 


building,  piled  one  above  another  in  terrific  magnificence,  through, 
and  among  which  the  iiery  fluid  forces  ils  way  in  a  current  that 
proceeds  three  miles  and  a  quarter  per  hour,  or  loses  itself  in  fath 
omless  chasms  at  the  bottom  of  the  cauldron.  This  volcano  is  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  feet  deep;  I  mean  down  to 
the  surface  of  the  fire  ;  its  chasms  and  caverns  can  never  be  meas 
ured.  Mauna  Loa  appears,  indeed,  more  like  an  elevated  table-land 
than  a  mountain.  It  is  a  high,  broad  dome,  formed  by  an  infinitude 
of  layers  of  volcanic  matter,  thrown  out  from  the  many  mouths  of 
its  craters.  Vegetation  does  not  exist  higher  than  eleven  thousand 
feet  ;  there  is  no  soil  whatever,  and  no  water.  The  lava  is  so  po 
rous  that  when  the  snow  melts  it  disappears  a  few  feet  from  the 
verge,  the  ground  drinking  it  up  like  a  sponge.  On  the  higher 
parts  grow  some  Rubus,  Fraseria,  Vaccinium.  and  some  Iiinri. 

'  I  visited,  also,  the  volcano  of  Kilauea,  the  lateral  volcano  of 
Mauna  Loa;  it  is  nearly  nine  miles  round,  one  thousand  one  hun 
dred  feet  deep,  and  is  likewise  in  a  state  of  terrific  activity.' — Ha 
waiian  Spectator,  Vol.  //,  No.  4,  pp.  397,  398. 

'  The  summit  of  this  extraordinary  mountain  is  so  flat,  that  from 
this  point  no  part  of  the  island  can  be  seen,  not  tven  the  high  peaks 
of  Mauna  Kea,  nor  the  distant  horizon  of  the  sea,  though  the  sky 
was  remarkably  clear.  It  is  a  horizon  of  itself,  and  about  seven 
miles  in  diameter.  Leaving  these  three  behind,  and  accompanied 
only  by  Calipio,  I  went  on  about  two  miles  and  a  half,  when  the 
Great  Terminal  Volcano,  or  Cone  of  Mauna  Loa,  burst  on  my  view. 
All  my  attempts  to  scale  the  black  ledge  were  here  ineffectual,  as 
the  fissures  in  the  lava  were  so  much  concealed,  though  not  pro 
tected  by  the  snow,  that  the  undertaking  was  accompanied  with 
great  danger.  Most  reluctantly  was  I  obliged  to  return,  without 
being  able  to  measure  accurately  its  extraordinary  depth.  From 
this  point  I  walked  along  upon  the  brink  of  the  high  ledge  along 
the  east  side  to  the  hump,  so  to  speak,  of  the  mountain  ;  the  point, 
as  seen  from  Mauna  Kea,  appears  the  highest.  As  I  stood  on  the 
brink  of  the  ledge,  the  wind  whirled  up  from  the  cavity  with  such 
furious  violence  that  I  could  hardly  keep  my  footing  within  twenty 
paces  of  it.  The  circumference  of  the  black  ledge  of  the  nearly 
circular  crater,  described  as  nearly  as  my  circumstances  would 
allow  me  to  ascertain,  is  six  miles  and  a  quarter.  The  ancient  crater 
has  an  extent  of  about  twenty-four  miles.  The  depth  of  the  ledge 
from  the  highest  part,  (perpendicular  station  on  the  east,)  by  an 
accurate  admeasurement  with  a  line  and  plummet,  is  twelve  hun 
dred  and  seventy  feet.  It  appears  to  have  filled  up  considerably  all 
round  ;  that  part  to  the  north  of  the  circle  seeming  to  have  at  no 
very  remote  period  undergone  the  most  violent  activity,  not  by 
boiling  and  overflowing,  not  by  discharging  under  ground,  but  by 
throwing  out  stones  of  immense  size  to  the  distance  of  miles 
around  its  opening,  together  with  ashes  and  sand.  Terrible  chasms 
exist  at  the  bottom,  appearing  in  some  places  as  if  the  mountain 
had  been  rent  to  its  very  roots;  no  termination  can  be  seen  to  their 
depth,  even  when  the  eye  is  aided  with  a  good  glass,  and  the  sky  is 
clear  of  smoke,  and  the  sun  shining  brightly.  Fearful  indeed  must 
the  spectacle  have  been  when  this  volcano  was  in  a  state  of  activ 
ity.  The  part  to  the  south  of  the  circle,  where  the  outlet  of  the 

22 


254  ITS    ERRORS    AND    INCONSISTENCIES. 

lava  has  evidently  been,  must  have  enjoyed  a  long  period  of  repose. 
Were  it  not  for  the  dykes  on  the  west  end,  which  show  the  extent 
of  the  ancient  cauldron,  and  the  direction  of  the  lava,  together  with 
its  proximity  to  the  existing  volcano,  there  is  little  to  arrest  the 
eye  of  the  naturalist  over  the  greater  portion  of  this  huge  dome, 
which  is  a  gigantic  mass  of  slag  and  scoriae  and  ashes.' — Hawaiian 
Spectator,  Vol.  II,  No.  4,  pp.  423,  424. 

In  Vol.  I,  No.  2,  page  99,  of  the  Hawaiian  Spec 
tator,  we  find  a  similar  account,  extracted  from  his 
'correspondence,'  with  this  addition:  *  There  is  no 
smoke?  Yet,  on  page  108,  in  the  same  volume,  he 
says,  in  a  letter  to  a  lady  in  Oahu  :  '  You  may  pledge 
my  name  for  saying,  that  the  Great  Crater  is  on  the 
very  summit  of  Mauna  Kea,  (he  probably  means 
Mauna  Loa,)  at  present  in  an  ACTIVE  state.  It  is 
twenty-seven  miles  round,  and  one  thousand  two 
hundred  and  seventy  feet  deep.'  Singular  enough, 
that  a  crater  of  this  extent,  and  active,  should  emit 
no  smoke.  He  also  adds  here  three  miles  to  the  cir 
cumference,  which,  one  would  think,  was  already 
sufficiently  large  at  twenty-four  miles.  He  appears 
also  to  be  singularly  unhappy  in  his  mathematical 
estimates.  After  giving  the  summit  of  this  moun 
tain  a  diameter  of  seven  miles,  and  calling  it  a  hori 
zon  by  itself,  he  walks  two  and  a  half  miles  farther, 
and  discovers  a  Great  Terminal  Volcano,  of  twenty- 
seven  miles  circumference,  or  nine  in  diameter;  thus 
exceeding  his  previous  assertion,  by  four  and  a  half 
miles.  It  is  rather  difficult  to  conceive  how  he  could 
measure,  accurately,  with  a  line  and  plumb,  the  depth 
of  the  ledge,  when  the  wind  whirled  up  from  its 
brink  with  such  furious  violence,  that  he  could 
hardly  stand,  'twenty  paces  from  it.'  Even  at  Ki- 
lauea,  with  half  the  depth,  and  to  the  eye  a  perpen- 


ITS    ERRORS    AND    INCONSISTENCIES.  255 

dicular  pali,  one  cannot  throw  a  stone  so  as  to  reach 
the  black  ledge;  and  this  mast  certainly  have  been 
perfectly  perpendicular ',  to  have  allowed  a  person? 
setting  aside  the  wind,  to  have  dropped  a  lead  one 
thousand  two  hundred  and  seventy  feet,  and  to  dis 
tinguish  it,  when  it  reached  the  bottom.  In  the  let 
ter  to  his  London  friend,  he  makes  the  depth  to  the 
surface  of  the  fire,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and 
seventy-two  feet.  The  heat  arising  from  a  lake  of 
liquid  fire,  five  miles  square,  '  in  a  state  of  ebullition, 
lolling  its  blazing  waves,'  &c.,  would,  with  most  lead 
and  twine,  have  operated  as  a  serious  impediment  to 
their  arriving  at  the  surface  in  their  original  state, 
though  their  component  parts  might  reach  it  with 
the  greatest  facility;  but  physical  difficulties,  or  even 
impossibilities,  seem  to  have  been  surmounted  by 
him,  with  rather  more  ease  than  by  most  mortals. 
We  found  the  heat  exceedingly  uncomfortable  from 
the  lake  at  Kilauea,  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above^ 
and  at  least  seven  hundred  feet  in  a  direct  line  from 
it.  Even  admitting  the  truth  of  these  statements, 
and  that  he  saw  and  performed  all  this,  how  can  the 
fact,  of  twenty-five  square  miles  of  'liquid  fire,'  in 
'furious  agitation,  and  casting  upwards  columns  of 
from  thirty  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  high,' 
with  a  'fiery  fluid  forcing  its  way  in  a  current  that 
proceeds  three  miles  and  a  quarter  per  hour,'  and  the 
remainder  of  this  description,  be  reconciled  with  the 
passage  in  his  journal,  where  he  says,  *  Were  it  not 
for  the  dykes  on  the  west  end,  which  show  the  extent 
of  the  ancient  cauldron,  and  the  direction  of  the  lava, 
together  with  its  proximity  to  the  existing  volcano, 


256  ITS    ERRORS    AND    INCONSISTENCIES. 

there  is  but  little  to  attract  the  eye  of  the  naturalist, 
over  the  greater  portion  of  this  huge  dome,  which  is 
a  gigantic  mass  of  slag,  scoriae,  and  ashes.'  By  the 
'  existing  volcano,'  he  evidently  means  Kilauea,  as  he 
everywhere  speaks  of  Mauna  Loa  as  a  '  huge  dome ;' 
and  certainly  a  crater  of  twenty-seven  miles  in  cir 
cumference  woujd  be  any  thing  but  a  small  portion 
of  its  surface,  and  in  so  active  a  state,  it  would  not 
only  atlract  naturalists,  but  the  whole  world.  The 
inhabitants  of  Hawaii,  at  least,  would  find  reason  to 
be  particularly  interested  in  it,  and  yet  it  is  totally 
unknown  to  them.  Did  such  exist,  its  light  could  be 
seen  at  the  farthest  extremity  of  the  group ;  its  fires 
would  shake  the  island  to  its  centre ;  while  its  noises 
would  appall  the  stoutest  heart.  Kilauea  is  consid 
ered  the  largest  volcano  in  the  world ;  *  yet,  in  its 
most  active  state,  it  has  never  shown  a  tenth  part  of 
the  superficial  extent  of  liquid  fire  ascribed  to  Mauna 
Loa.  Vesuvius,  of  scarcely  a  sixth  the  size  of  Kil 
auea,  in  472,  ejected  ashes,  (so  Procopius  states,) 
that  reached  Constantinople,  a  distance  of  upwards 
of  seven  hundred  miles.  These  examples  serve  to 
give  a  faint  idea  of  what  would  be  the  effects  of  a 
volcano  so  prodigiously  surpassing  all  others,  and  in 
a  s^ate  of  '  terrific  activity.' 

The  preceding  extracts  show  the  great  inconsis 
tencies  Douglas  was  guilty  of;  and  if  we  give  cred 
ence  to  his  journal,  as  the  most  probable,  one  is 


*'  I  say  unparalleled, because,  having  visited  most  of  the  European 
and  American  volcanoes,  I  find  the  greatest  of  them  inferior  to  the 
Kilauea  crater,  in  intensity,  grandeur,  and  extent  or  area.'  —  Haw. 
Spec.,  Vol.  I,  p.  435.  COUNT  STRZELECKI. 


MAUNA    LOA.  257 

tempted  to  inquire,  what  could  induce  a  man  of  his 
scientific  attainments,  to  risk  his  reputation  on  such 
a  fabulous  account  to  his  friend?  When  he  says, 
p.  424,  '  Fearful  indeed  must  the  spectacle  have  been, 
when  this  volcano  was  in  a  stale  of  activity,'  his 
description  might  have  referred  to  that  period ;  and 
if  we  view  it  as  a  mere  sketch  drawn  from  his  im 
agination,  it  is  truly  graphic,  though  improbable  ;  but 
the  explicitness  and  minuteness  of  detail  in  the  let 
ter,  leave  no  room  for  such  a  supposition.  His  words 
are,  'at  present  in  terrific  activity.' 

The  guide,  who  accompanied  him  to  the  summit, 
resides  at  Hilo,  and  has  since  conducted  two  other 
travellers,  at  distinct  periods,  to  the  very  spot  where 
these  observations  are  said  to  have  been  made.  He 
states,  that  at  both  of  these  visits,  it  appeared  the 
same  as  when  Douglas  was  there,  merely  a  little 
smoke  issuing  from  some  of  the  fissures.  The  rest 
was  a  great  pit,  probably  much  the  same  as  Kilauea 
would  appear,  if  it  were  emptied  of  lava.  It  has 
been  in  action  as  late  as  July,  1832,  when  it  shot  up 
a  light  for  several  nights,  of  sufficient  brightness  to 
be  distinguished  one  hundred  and  ten  miles ;  and  it 
may  burst  forth  again,  at  no  distant  period;  but 
whatever  may  be  its  real  state,  it  certainly  possesses 
interest  enough  to  induce  some  scientific  individual 
to  give  it  a  thorough  investigation. 

It  may  be  considered  as  uncharitable  to  thus  crit 
icise  the  dead;  but  it  is  certainly  due  to  truth  and 
science  to  rectify  error.  Those  who  read  Douglas's 
Memoir  abroad,  and  are  wholly  unacquainted  with 
the  localities  mentioned  therein,  and  the  nature  of 
22* 


258  LEAVE    FOR    HILO. 

volcanic  action,  would  scarcely  notice  these  discrep 
ances,  but  regard  him  as  a  traveller  of  great  re 
search,  and  one  whose  labors  should  justly  immor 
talize  him.  This  opinion  would  doubtless  be  con 
firmed  by  finding  it  republished  in  the  Hawaiian 
Spectator,  almost  upon  the  very  spot  of  his  researches, 
without  note  or  comment  of  any  kind. 

Douglas  unfortunately  did  not  live  to  publish  his 
journal  himself,  and  perhaps  much  of  its  ambiguity 
is  owing  to  this  circumstance.  He  was  killed  bv  a 
wild-bullock,  on  the  north  side  of  the  island,  in  July 
of  1834. 

On  Monday  morning,  at  seven  o'clock,  we  gazed 
our  farewell  to  Pele's  domains,  and,  amid  a  smart 
shower,  started  for  Hilo.  The  path  was  to  the  east- 
northeast,  a  good  road,  and  through,  or  rather  mostly 
skirting,  a  very  pretty  forest,  with  a  greater  depth  of 
soil  than  we  had  previously  met  with.  The  descent 
was  so  gradual  as  to  be  hardly  perceptible;  and 
after  a  brisk  walk  of  eleven  miles,  we  came  in  sight 
of  the  smoke  and  flames  arising  from  the  new  streams 
of  lava.  They  were  about  twelve  miles  east  of  us. 
At  noon  we  arrived  at  Olaa,  a  neat  little  hamlet  upon 
the  border  of  the  wood,  with  considerable  cultivation 
about  it.  The  population  ran  out  to  greet  us,  prof 
fering  every  hospitality,  and  urging  us  to  pass  the 
night  at  the  head-man's  house,  where  we  had  stopped. 
Being  anxious  to  arrive  at  Hilo,  we  declined  this  in 
vitation,  but  consented  to  the  application  of  the  lomi- 
lomi,  and  soon  were  stretched  out  upon  the  mats, 
with  a  dozen  little  urchins  zealously  fisting,  pinch 
ing,  squeezing,  and  kneading,  our  travel-worn  limbs. 


AN    OVER-SHARP    LANDLORD.  259 

Here  let  me  whisper  in  the  ear  of  any  traveller,  who 
may  find  himself,  at  the  end  of  a  day's  journey,  with 
stiff  and  wearied  nether  members,  to  select  a  couple 
of  youngsters  with  very  sharp  elbows,  with  which, 
for  the  consideration  of  a  jewsharp  or  so,  they  will 
most  effectually  furrow  his  outer  man,  while  he  is 
replenishing  the  inner.  I  speak  feelingly ;  it  is  the 
very  acme  of  a  pedestrian's  happiness;  and  it  had 
such  a  wonderful  effect  upon  us,  that  after  a  short 
debate  it  was  unanimously  moved  and  carried  -that 
we  should  pass  the  night  here,  provided  the  neces 
saries  for  a  feast  could  be  obtained.  At  this  the  eyes 
of  the  natives  sparkled  with  delight;  and  so  did  oars 
at  the  list  of  eatables  which  they  were  ready  to  pro 
vide  instantly.  But  we  were  too  old  campaigners 
not  to  inquire  the  price  of  all  this  kindness,  especially 
as  some  suspicions  that  all  this  zeal  was  not  pure 
disinterestedness  began  to  arise.  I  will  not  record 
the  answer  of  our  host,  for  fear  of  being  charged  with 
a  conspiracy  to  destroy  his  credit  as  keeper  of  the 
1  half-way  house;'  but  it  caused  the  lame  to  jump, 
and  the  bellies  of  the  hungry  to  be  filled,  not  with 
laaued  pig,  in  visions  of  which  we  had  just  been  lux 
uriating,  but  brimful  of  wrath,  minus  the  cabbage. 
Two  hours  had  been  spent  here,  and  after  giving  our 
Boniface  some  valuable  advice  in  regard  to  his  fu 
ture  charges,  should  any  others  ever  be  so  unfortu 
nate  as  to  partake  of  his  hospitality,  we  left.  The 
dudgeon  which  filled  our  indignant  selves  was  as 
good  as  so  much  high-pressure  steam,  and  carried  us 
along  with  rather  more  speed  than  we  should  have 
been  able  to  accomplish,  had  we  been  filled  with 
any  thing  more  substantial. 


260         GUIDE'S  TRICK.  — ARRIVAL  AT  HILO, 

The  path  led  to  the  north,  with  the  ocean  in  sight, 
and  the  country  more  open.  At  night  we  saw  a  neat 
but  small  house  at  a  short  distance,  and  proposed 
stopping  there  ;  but  our  natives  said  there  was  a  large 
one,  where  plenty  of  provisions  could  be  obtained,  a 
short  distance  farther  on.  It  was  quite  dark  when 
we  arrived,  and  their  description  was  true  to  life.  It 
was  nearly  if  not  quite  as  large  as  'all-out-doors/ 
the  distinction  between  the  interior  and  exterior  not 
being  remarkably  well  defined ;  and  for  provisions, 
there  were  abundance  of  pigs,  dogs,  and  poultry,  on 
terms  of  most  perfect  intimacy  with  their  owners. 
It  was  a  filthy  hovel,  and  its  inmates,  amounting  to 
twenty  or  so  nearly  naked  natives  of  both  sexes,  the 
shabbiest  I  had  ever  seen.  However,  it  being  too 
late  to  retrace  our  steps,  we  devoured  a  young  pig, 
begged  a  mat,  and  fatigue  (having  walked  twenty- 
five  miles)  soon  wrapped  us  in  a  slumber,  which 
neither  the  furious  attacks  of  fleas,  or  swinish  noises 
around  us,  could  break.  In  the  morning  we  learned 
that  our  honest  guides  had  slept  at  the  former  house, 
where  they  had  been  feasted  with  the  fat  of  the  land, 
after  having  had  the  cool  impudence  to  recommend 
our  pushing  on  to  the  next.  Our  lodging-place  was 
on  the  outskirts  of  a  dense  forest,  four  miles  in  width, 
through  which  passed  a  road  made  of  the  trunks  of 
ferns,  after  the  corduroy  fashion.  Three  miles  far 
ther  walk  brought  us  to  Hilo  village,  where  we  were 
most  hospitably  received  and  entertained  by  the  mis 
sionaries,  and  an  old  friend  settled  there ;  that  is,  as 
soon  as  we  could  be  identified —  no  easy  job,  through 
the  grime  of  such  a  jaunt,  much  of  the  time  in  rain 
and  mud,  and  with  a  fortnight's  unshaven  chin. 


SITUATION    AND    NATURAL    BEAUTIES.  261 

Hilo,  or  Byron  Bay,  merits  all  that  has  been  said 
in  praise  of  its  beauty  and  situation.  The  bay  faces 
the  north,  and,  on  two  sides,  is  lined  by  a  fine  sand- 
beach,  prettily  bordered  by  cocoa-nut,  bread-fruit, 
and  other  trees.  The  coast  swells  gradually  inland, 
at  times  presenting  hills  of  considerable  magnitude, 
three  of  which,  a  mile  from  the  shore,  are  particular 
objects  of  attraction.  They  are  ancient,  craters,  very 
uniform  and  regular  in  size  and  shape,  truncated, 
and  covered  with  a  fine  greensward.  The  view 
from  the  sea  is  more  beautifully  picturesque  than 
sublime.  Of  a  clear  day,  the  snowy  peaks  of  Mauna 
Kea,  with  its  brown  sides,  are  to  be  seen  rising  ab 
ruptly  from  the  plain,  and,  in  the  background,  the 
dome  of  Mauna  Loa,  and  the  smoke  of  Kilauea,  are 
distinctly  visible.  All  the  back-country  is  well  wood 
ed  and  watered,  while  towards  the  sea,  houses  and 
gardens,  trees  and  small  streams,  dell  and  grove, 
are  grouped  in  pleasing  confusion.  The  soil  is 
luxuriantly  verdant,  and  its  depth  and  richness  favor 
able  to  all  tropical  productions.  The  bay  forms  an 
excellent  harbor,  protected  from  the  surf  by  a  reef 
and  bar,  which  makes  nearly  across,  and  it  has  good 
holding  ground.  Ships  can  lay  close  in,  without 
danger,  and,  with  proper  encouragement  from  gov 
ernment,  Hilo  might  become  a  rich  and  populous 
district.  The  best  of  water  is  obtained,  with  the 
greatest  facility,  at  the  Wailuku,  or  river  of  destruc 
tion,  a  romantic  stream,  which  empties  itself  into  the 
bay  near  the  anchorage,  and  derives  its  name  from 
the  number  of  persons  who  have  perished  in  its 
rapids.  A  short  distance  from  its  mouth  there  is  a 


262  PRODUCTIONS    OF    HILO. 

fine  calaract,  tumbling  over  a  precipice  sixty  feet  in 
height,  into  a  deep  and  craggy  basin  beneath,  which 
was  formerly  the  interior  of  a  crater,  through  the  rent 
side  of  which  the  stream  now  forces  its  way.  It  is 
called  the  '  cascade  of  the  rainbow.' 

The  population  of  the  district  of  Hilo  is  nearly 
eight  thousand.  A  store  has  been  recently  establish 
ed  at  the  village,  much  to  the  benefit  of  the  natives, 
in  affording  them  a  market  for  their  produce,  and 
foreign  goods  in  return.  A  spirit  of  enterprise  has 
been  developing,  which,  no  doubt,  will  soon  make 
this  place  the  garden  of  Hawaii ;  but  it  is  here  as 
elsewhere,  through  the  influence  of  foreigners,  that  a 
better  day  appears  to  be  dawning  upon  these  islands. 
In  1840  the  exports  from  Hilo  amounted  to  two 
hundred  thousand  shingles,  a  considerable  quantity 
of  Koa  lumber,  forty  or  fifty  tons  of  sugar,  and  one 
hundred  and  fifty  tons  of  arrow  root.  Seven  miles 
inland  there  is  a  saw-mill,  which,  when  water  is 
abundant,  can  saw  from  six  to  eight  hundred  feet  of 
boards  per  day.  Two  sugar  mills,  by  water  power, 
capable  of  grinding  from  four  hundred  to  six  hun 
dred  pounds  each,  per  day,  have  been  recently 
erected,  and  are  expected  to  turn  out  two  hundred 
tons  of  sugar  annually.  That  which  has  been  made 
the  past  year,  at  the  Chinaman's  mills,  has  a  dis 
agreeable  flavor,  and  lacks  grain. 

The  climate  of  Hilo  is  particularly  favorable  to 
agricultural  operations.  Regular  land  and  sea  breezes 
prevail,  which  give  a  very  delightful  temperature, 
tempering  the  noon-day  heat,  and  rendering  the 
nights  cool  and  bracing.  It  has  formerly  been  con- 


PRODUCTIONS    OF    HILO.  263 

sidered  as  obnoxious  to  continual  rains,  but  the  resi 
dents  state,  that  within  the  last  four  years  a  great 
change  has  taken  place  in  that  respect,  and  that  now 
much  less  falls  ;  indeed,  no  more  than  is  necessary 
to  preserve  its  fruitfulness.  Orange  trees  do  not 
flourish,  but  the  mango,  chirimoya,  fig,  strawberry, 
and  many  other  fruits,  grow  thriftily.  Corn,  mul 
berry,  and  sugar-cane  do  excellently  well,  but  the 
plant  which  seems  to  thrive  the  best,  and  is  destined 
to  become  the  principal  export,  is  coffee.  The  ex 
pense  of  raising  it  is  trifling,  compared  with  silk,  or 
sugar.  It  grows  most  luxuriantly,  and  the  branches 
of  the  trees,  then  in  fruit,  were  bent  to  the  earth  by 
its  weight.  Mature  trees  have  produced  ten  pounds 
apiece,  which  is  an  enormous  product,  compared 
with  most  coffee  countries.  In  Brazil,  and  the  West 
Indies,  three  to  four  pounds  to  the  tree  is  considered 
as  a  great  crop.  There  are  now  several  plantations 
of  the  berry,  which  have  commenced  bearing.  The 
shrubs  are  planted  in  rows,  and  shaded  by  banana 
plants.  The  strong  trade-wind,  which  almost  every 
where  else  on  the  islands  operates  as  a  serious  im 
pediment  to  the  growth  of  plants,  is  here  neutralized 
by  the  land  breezes,  and  the  neighboring  mountains. 
A  pleasant  wine  has  been  made  from  the  wild 
raspberries  of  the  mountains. 

The  mission-houses,  three  in  number,  are  pleas 
antly  situated  near  each  other,  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  beach.  That  built  by  Mr.  Goodrich  is  of 
two  stories,  painted  red,  and  an  exact  model  of  one 
of  our  yankee  farm-houses  in  New  England.  In 
deed,  it  looked  as  if  it  had  been  transplanted  to  its 


264  BOARDING-SCHOOL. 

present  situation,  from  the  country  of  frost  and  snow, 
and  forms  quite  a  singular  object,  half  hid  by  the 
deep  foliage  of  the  oriental  lilach,  mango,  and  bread 
fruit  trees.  Rev.  Mr.  Lyman  has  a  boarding-school, 
of  from  fifty  to  sixty  boys,  the  brightest  of  whom  are 
sent,  annually,  to  the  high-school  at  Maui.  They 
partly  support  themselves  by  their  labor ;  all  arc 
neatly  clothed,  and  their  whole  appearance  reflects 
great  credit  upon  their  instructors.  They  are  lodged 
in  a  large,  thatched,  two-story  building.  The  lower 
part  is  the  school-room,  and  the  upper  is  divided,  by 
mat  partitions,  into  numerous  chambers,  for  sleeping 
apartments.  Besides  this,  there  is  another  house,  of 
the  same  size,  where  they  eat,  after  a  civilized  mari 
ner.  They  are  allowed  meats  as  often  as  they  can 
be  procured.  For  the  sick  there  is  a  separate  build 
ing,  where  they  can  be  retired  from  the  noise  of  the 
school,  and  have  such  attention  as  their  wants  re 
quire.  Mrs.  Coan  supports  a  smaller  school,  for 
girls,  upon  much  the  same  plan. 

Wednesday,  8th  of  July.  Having  engaged  a  new 
set  of  men,  we  left  Hilo,  at  noon,  in  company  with 
Rev.  Mr.  Lyman,  to  explore  the  site  of  the  recent 
eruption.  This  company  were  hired  with  the  stipu 
lation  that  they  should  find  their  own  food  —  a  prac 
tice  we  recommend  to  all  who  wish  to  travel  expe- 
ditiously,  and  without  annoyance.  The  distinction 
between  meum  and  tuum  was  never  more  palpably 
manifested  than  in  this  instance.  The  whole  amount 
of  food  which  our  three  men  took  with  them,  for  as 
many  days,  would  not  have  sufficed  one  of  our  for 
mer  gang  more  than  one  day ;  and  throughout  the 


ERUPTION    OF    THE    CRATER.  265 

excursion  we  had  as  much  reason  to  be  satisfied 
with  these  men,  as  we  had  to  be  dissatisfied  with  the 
others.  Higher  praise  than  this  could  not  be  award 
ed  them. 

After  retracing  our  steps  on  the  road  to  the  volca 
no  for  ten  miles,  we  diverged  to  the  southeast,  upon 
what  is  called  the  middle  Puna  road.  After  travel 
ling  a  few  miles  we  reached  a  small  hamlet.  The 
best  hut  was  given  us  for  our  sleeping-apartment,  to 
which  we  soon  retired,  while  our  clerical  friend  held 
a  religious  meeting  in  a  neighboring  house.  Early 
next  morning  we  continued  our  route  over  a  coun 
try  much  broken  up  by  lava  streams,  smooth  at  iheir 
surface,  and  partially  covered  with  a  light  soil,  sup 
porting  a  scanty  forest  of  stunted  ohias,  of  a  species 
which  bore  no  fruit.  At  twelve  o'clock,  when  about 
twenty-five  miles  from  Hilo,  we  came  upon  the  first 
traces  of  the  devastations  of  the  burning  torrent. 
The  grass  was  killed,  and  vegetation  all  blasted. 
Continuing  our  walk,  for  a  mile,  through  a  wood 
filled  with  smoke,  and  smelling  strongly  of  sulphur, 
and  in  which  all  signs  of  life  were  destroyed,  the 
trees  crisped  and  blackened  by  heat,  while  some 
had  fallen,  like  mown  grass,  we  struck  suddenly 
upon  the  great  stream  of  lava  which  had  caused  all 
this  destruction.  Its  course  was  to  the  northeast, 
having  forced  its  way  through  a  dense  body  of  tim 
ber,  burning  and  destroying  all  before  it.  On  its 
outer  edges  it  had  cooled  so  suddenly,  upon  its  sur 
face,  as  to  leave  the  charred  limbs  of  many  trees  un- 
consumed,  though  smoking  freely.  They  were 
thickly  strewed,  for  many  miles,  and  formed  an  al- 
23 


266  ERUPTION, 

most  impenetrable  chevaux  de  frise.  They  lay  most 
ly  around  the  smooth  holes  which  their  trunks  had 
formed,  when  the  liquid  mass  consolidated  about 
them  ;  all  beneath  the  surface,  of  course,  being  en 
tirely  consumed,  and  leaving  no  traces,  except  a  few 
ashes.  The  lava  was  swollen  up  in  cones,  and 
forges,  split  into  deep  chasms,  and  twisted  and  crack 
ed  into  every  variety  of  shape,  resulting,  probably, 
from  its  suddenly  cooling  and  contracting.  The 
crevices  were  lined  with  the  most  beautiful  and  del 
icate  forms  of  salt  and  sulphur,  of  all  the  hues  of  the 
rainbow.  Fresh  specimens  were  continually  consol 
idating,  from  the  strong  gases  which  everywhere 
jetted  out.  They  effloresced,  upon  exposure  to  the 
atmosphere.  From  every  aperture,  steam,  smoke, 
and  sulphurous  vapors  issued,  so  dense  and  strong, 
that,  while  it  required  the  greatest  caution  to  avoid 
their  suffocating  currents,  they  prevented  us  from 
distinctly  seeing  any  distance.  The  surface  was 
still  so  hot  as  to  be  painful  to  the  feet,  while,  in  many 
places  beneath  us,  the  gurgling,  crackling  sound  of 
flowing  lava,  gave  warning  that  the  treacherous  fluid 
was  still  moving  underneath.  The  crust  being 
puffed  up  by  bubbles  of  air,  and  extremely  brittle, 
frequently  gave  way,  without  the  slightest  warning 
precipitating  us  several  feet  before  we  found  solid 
footing. 

We  had  supposed  that  we  should  reach  the  stream 
somewhere  about  its  source,  but  we  found  ourselves 
at  most,  not  more  than  mid-way  from  the  shore. 
Mile  upon  mile  of  the  same  dismal  prospect  of  jag 
ged  lava,  flame,  and  smoke,  could  be  traced  inland. 


ERUPTION.  267 

and  after  an  hour's  exploring,  over  the  hot  clinkers 
where  we  were,  we  found  ourselves  too  much  ex 
hausted  by  the  intense  heat  and  fatiguing  clamber 
ing,  to  attempt  to  follow  the  stream  further  up  ;  be 
sides,  it  was  far  from  being  prudent,  in  its  present 
state.  The  thermometer,  three  feet  above  the  lava, 
rose  to  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  degrees,  and  in  the 
clefts  it  was  too  hot  to  try  it.  We  estimated  its 
width,  where  we  first  struck  upon  it,  at  upwards  of  a 
mile.  The  lava  everywhere  appeared  to  be  of  uni 
form  character,  and  presented  the  same  appearance, 
being  full  of  glittering  crystals  of  pyroxine  and 
olivine. 

Turning  back,  we  gained  the  edge  of  the  woods, 
and  then  followed  the  stream  towards  the  ocean  in  a 
northerly  direction,  where  it  gradually  widened  until 
it  acquired  a  width  of  six  miles,  forming  a  sea  of 
huge,  black,  solidified  waves.  On  its  sides,  it  fre 
quently  forced  its  way  under  ground,  by  galleries, 
throwing  up  the  soil  in  rugged  hills,  from  ten  to 
fifteen  feet  high,  then  issuing  to  the  surface  again  at 
a  considerable  distance  from  its  ingress.  As  we 
approached  the  sea,  volcanic  sand  showed  itself  in 
greater  quantities,  covering  the  soil  and  trees  to  the 
distance  of  half  a  mile  from  the  stream.  The  spiral 
branches  of  the  Pandanus  were  loaded  with  it;  and 
near  the  ocean  it  formed  beds  of  several  feet  in  thick 
ness,  making  smooth  walking  where  formerly  it  was 
rough  in  the  extreme.  This  sand  is  of  the  same 
substance  as  the  lava,  and  was  probably  formed 
when  the  stream  reached  the  water,  by  the  great  con 
cussion  and  reaction  of  the  two  opposite  forces. 


268  SULPHUROUS    GASES. 

The  lava  cooling  suddenly,  shivered  like  glass,  into 
millions  of  small  particles,  which  the  strong  trade 
wind  drove  back  upon  the  country. 

After  skirting  the  stream  for  several  miles,  we 
turned  to  the  left,  and  at  five  o'clock,  P.  M.,  arrived 
at  the  sea,  at  a  very  romantic  spot,  called  Waiaka- 
kuila.  A  chief's  house,  then  deserted,  situated  in  a 
fine  grove  of  cocoa-nut,  hala,  and  hau  trees,  afforded 
us  good  accommodations  for  the  night.  The  surf 
broke  upon  a  precipice  but  a  few  rods  distant,  and 
near  by  was  a  spring,  which,  flowing  into  a  rocky 
basin,  formed  an  excellent  bathing-place. 

A  mile  to  the  east  of  us,  at  Nanawale,  the  lava 
had  entered  the  sea,  and  was  throwing  up  steam  and 
smoke  so  furiously,  that  it  had  every  appearance  of 
a  new  crater.  Hastening  to  it,  we  found  it  presented 
the  same  appearance  as  above,  except  that  it  had 
overflowed  the  old  line  of  coast,  and  pushed  itself 
fifteen  hundred  feet  or  more  into  the  sea,  forming 
three  bold  promontories,  or  crater-shaped  hills,  parallel 
to  each  other,  and  a  few  hundred  feet  apart.  Between 
these  the  lava  flowed  a  short  distance  beyond.  These 
hills  were  formed  of  scoriae,  sand,  and  ashes,  precipi 
tous  towards  the  sea,  and  sloping  gradually  inland. 
Fumes  of  steam  were  issuing  from  their  summits, 
which  were  from  two  hundred  to  three  hundred  feet 
high.  Towards  the  sea,  their  sides  were  still  so  hot 
as  to  form  vapor  at  every  wash  of  the  waves.  Be 
tween  them,  the  sulphurous  gases  were  dense  and 
choking,  occasioning  immediate  nausea  and  giddi 
ness,  on  approaching  them,  unless  to  the  windward. 
In  a  few  places  the  old  rock,  whitened  and  split  by 


BEAUTIFUL    APPEARANCE    OF    THE    LAVA.         269 

heat,  appeared  through  the  new.  A  solitary  Panda- 
nus,  scorched  and  burnt,  still  stood  upright,  overlook 
ing  the  scene  of  desolation.  Two  beaches  of  volcanic 
sand,  forming  excellent  landing-places,  were  thrown 
up,  where  previously  there  was  nothing  but  the  bold 
rock.  The  largest  is  on  the  north  of  the  hills,  and 
about  one  hundred  yards  in  length ;  the  other  lies  at 
the  farther  extremity  of  the  lava,  and  is  but  a  few 
rods  long.  Neither  will  probably  be  permanent. 
The  width  of  the  stream  here  is  two  thousand  feet. 
From  the  loftiest  of  the  hills,  an  excellent  view  of 
the  course  of  the  stream  was  obtained.  Its  widen- 
ings  and  windings  can  be  traced  inland  for  a  great 
distance.  At  sunset,  with  its  dark  surface,  and  broad 
descending  stream,  covered  with  wood  and  smoke, 
and  broken  or  turned  aside  at  times,  leaving  small 
spots  of  land  untouched  and  overgrown  with  now 
lifeless  trees,  it  forcibly  recalled  to  my  mind  the  Mis 
sissippi  at  its  rising  in  spring.  It  resembled  a  vast 
river,  which  had  overflowed,  its  banks,  flowing  slug 
gishly  onward,  and  bearing  on  its  bosom  the  wrecks 
of  vegetation.  The  smoke  was  not  at  all  dissimilar 
to  fog.  As  the  sun  went  down,  it  threw  a  dim  glare 
over  the  whole,  which  added  much  to  the  effect 
Night  surprised  us  while  still  engaged  amid  the  thou 
sand  and  one  wonders  around,  and  we  were  com- 
pelled  to  hasten  to  our  lodging-place ;  but  not  until 
we  had  secured  specimens  of  all  the  varieties  of  lava, 
which,  however,  did  not  differ  from  those  observed 
elsewhere  on  the  stream.  The  tints  and  forms  of 
some  of  the  salts,  incrusting  the  hollows  of  the  rocks, 
were  exceedingly  minute  and  beautiful,  closely  resen> 
23* 


270  FIRST    OUTBREAK. 

bling  the  flowers  of  some  of  the  most  delicate  species 
of  rnoss.  It  was  impossible  to  preserve  them,  for 
upon  exposure  to  the  air,  they  dissolved  like  snow, 
leaving  a  yellow,  red,  or  green  precipitate. 

Such  was  the  appearance  of  this  stream  of  lava, 
six  weeks  after  it  commenced  flowing.  On  the  30th 
of  May  previous,  the  inhabitants  of  the  district  de 
tected  a  smoke  and  some  fire  rising,  in  the  direction 
of  the  volcano.  As  it  proceeded  from  an  uninhab 
ited  and  desolate  region,  they  gave  themselves  no 
further  concern  about  it,  attributing  it  to  the  burning 
of  brush-wood.  The  next  day,  being  Sunday,  the 
several  congregations  at  HiJo  and  its  vicinity,  were 
alarmed  by  the  prodigious  increase  of  the  flames,  in 
that  quarter.  They  increased  so  rapidly  as  to  leave 
no  doubt  that  the  volcano  was  in  motion ;  but  in 
what  manner  it  was  discharging  itself,  was  as  yet 
conjecture.  The  fiery  column,  sending  forth  heavy 
masses  of  smoke  and  cinders,  gave  indication  that  it 
was  no  ordinary  outbreak.  Fear  began  to  seize  upon 
some.  The  burning  torrent  was  four  thousand  feet 
above  them  ;  and  if  it  turned  in  the  direction  of  Hilo, 
the  devastation  would  be  dreadful.  But  on  the  1st 
of  June  it  began  to  move  in  a  northeasterly  direction  ; 
and  in  little  short  of  four  days  reached  the  sea,  hav 
ing  flowed  forty  miles  from  its  source.  Owing  to 
the  inequalities  of  the  country,  the  rapidity  of  its 
movement  was  not  uniform.  In  some  places  il  was 
stayed  for  a  considerable  time,  until  a  valley  had 
been  filled  up,  or  precipice  overthrown.  In  such 
spots  it  spread  itself  into  lakes  many  miles  wide. 
On  level  ground  it  moved  slowly  and  sluggishly,  but 


PROGRESS  OF  THE  STREAM.         271 

when  it  met  with  a  descent,  it  acquired  a  velocity  of 
even  five  miles  the  hour,  consuming  every  thing 
before  it.  Its  depth  varied  according  to  the  nature 
of  the  soil,  and  is  from  twelve  to  two  hundred  feet 
and  upwards.  The  average  descent  of  the  country 
in  the  direction  it  took,  is  about  one  hundred  feet  to 
the  mile.  Its  general  movement,  owing  to  its  great 
consistency,  was  in  immense  semi-circular  masses  or 
waves.  These  would  roll  on,  gradually  accumulating, 
until  the  mass  had  become  too  heavy  to  hold  itself 
together,  while  the  exterior  was  partially  cooled  and 
solidified  ;  then  bursting,  the  liquefied  interior  flowing 
out  would  join  a  new  stream,  and  by  its  momentum 
cleave  that  asunder.  By  these  accelerated  progres 
sive  movements,  the  wave-like  ridges  were  formed, 
which  are  everywhere  observable  on  the  older 
dykes.  At  times,  it  forced  its  way  under  the  soil,  pre 
senting  the  singular  appearance  of  earth,  rocks,  and 
trees  in  motion,  like  the  swell  of  the  ocean.  It  found  its 
way  into  crevices  and  subterranean  galleries,  flowing 
on  until  it  had  filled  them  up,  or  met  with  some  im 
pediment,  then  bursting  up  the  superincumbent  soil, 
it  bore  off  upon  its  livid  surface,  like  rafts  on  a  river, 
hillocks  with  trees  still  standing  upon  them;  and  so 
great  was  its  viscidity,  heavy  rocks  floated  down  with 
the  stream.  A  white  man,  who  was  standing  upon 
a  small  lime  hill,  near  the  main  stream,  absorbed  by 
the  spectacle,  felt  the  ground  beneath  him  in  motion, 
and,  before  he  could  retire,  it  had  been  raised  ten  to 
fifteen  feet  above  its  former  height.  He  had  barely 
left  the  spot  before  it  burst  open  like  a  shell,  and  a 
torrent  of  fire  issued  rapidly  forth.  On  the  third  day 


272  DESTRUCTION. 

of  the  eruption,  three  new  hills  of  a  mile  in  length, 
and  from  six  hundred  to  eight  hundred  feet  high, 
were  formed  in  the  direction  where  the  fire  first 
appeared.  In  two  days  they  had  entirely  disappeared. 
To  the  windward,  the  running  lava  could  be  ap 
proached,  near  enough  for  those  who  visited  it  to 
thrust  long  poles  into  the  liquefied  rock,  and  draw 
forth  specimens.  On  the  leeward  side,  owing  to  the 
intensity  of  the  heat,  the  noxious  and  deadly  vapors 
and  gases,  with  which  the  air  was  impregnated,  and 
the  showers  of  hot  ashes,  sand,  and  cinders,  which 
were  constantly  descending,  all  vegetation  for  many 
miles  was  destroyed,  and  the  inhabitants  obliged  to 
flee  with  the  greatest  expedition.  Fortunately,  the 
stream  flowed  through  two  '  lands '  only,  according 
to  the  Hawaiian  division  of  territory,  those  of  Nana- 
wale  and  Kanahikio  ;  both  sparsely  populated,  and 
quite  barren.  Consequently,  the  warning  being 
ample,  although  a  number  of  small  hamlets  were 
overwhelmed,  and  a  multitude  of  swine  and  poultry 
perished,  no  lives  were  lost  among  the  people.  The 
body  of  an  old  woman,  who  had  just  died,  was  con 
sumed.  The  color  of  the  viscid  mass  was,  while 
flowing  sluggishly,  of  the  deepest  crimson ;  when 
more  active,  it  resembled  gore  and  fresh  blood  vio 
lently  stirred  together.  At  Hilo,  and  places  forty 
miles  distant,  such  was  the  brilliancy  of  the  light, 
that  the  finest  print  could  be  easily  read  at  midnight. 
This  noon-tide  brightness,  converting  night  into  day, 
prevailed  over  all  East- Hawaii,  for  two  weeks,  and 
is  represented,  by  eye-witnesses,  to  have  been  a  spec 
tacle  of  unsurpassed  sublimity.  It  was  like  the  glare 


THE    OCEAN    AND    VOLCANO    IN    STRIFE.  273 

of  a  blazing  firmament,  and  was  seen  for  upwards  of 
a  hundred  miles  at  sea.  It  also  rose  and  spread  itself 
above  the  lofty  mountain  peaks,  so  as  to  be  distinctly 
visible  on  the  leeward  side  of  the  island,  where  the 
wind  drove  the  smoke  in  dense  and  massy  clouds. 

When  the  torrent  of  fire  precipitated  itself  into  the 
ocean,  the  scene  assumed  a  character  of  terrific  and 
indescribable  grandeur.  The  magnificence  of  de 
struction  was  never  more  perceptibly  displayed,  than 
when  these  antagonistic  elements  met  in  deadly 
strife.  The  mightiest  of  earth's  magazines  of  fire 
poured  forth  its  burning  billows  to  meet  the 
mightiest  of  ocean's.  For  two-score  miles  it  came, 
rolling,  tumbling,  swelling  forward,  an  awful  agent 
of  death.  Rocks  melted  like  wax  in  its  path  ;  forests 
crackled  and  blazed  before  its  fervent  heat ;  the  very 
hills  were  lifted  from  their  primeval  beds,  and  sank  be 
neath  its  tide,  or  were  borne  onward  by  its  waves ;  the 
works  of  man  were  to  it  but  as  a  scroll  in  the  flames  ; 
nature  shrivelled  and  trembled  before  the  irresistible 
flow.  Imagine  Niagara's  stream,  above  the  brink  of 
the  falls,  with  its  dashing,  whirling,  tossing,  and 
eddying  rapids,  madly  raging  and  hurrying  on  to 
their  plunge,  instantaneously  converted  into  fire,  a 
gory-hued  river  of  fused  minerals  ;  the  wrecks  of 
creative  matter  blazing  and  disappearing  beneath  its 
surface  ;  volumes  of  hissing  steam  arising ;  smokes 
curling  upwards  from  ten  thousand  vents,  which  give 
utterance  to  as  many  deep-toned  mutterings,  and 
sullen,  confined,  and  ominous  clamoririgs,  as  if  the 
spirits  of  fallen  demons  were  struggling  against  their 
final  doom  ;  gases  detonating  and  shrieking  as  they 


274  A    SUBLIME    SPECTACLE. 

burst  from  their  hot  prison-house  ;  the  heavens  lurid 
with  flame ;  the  atmosphere  dark,  turgid,  and  op 
pressive  ;  the  horizon  murky  with  vapors,  and  gleam 
ing  with  the  reflected  contest ;  while  cave  and  hollow, 
as  the  hot  air  swept  along  their  heated  walls,  threw 
back  the  unearthly  sounds,  in  a  myriad  of  prolonged 
echoes.  Such  was  the  scene,  as  the  fiery  cataract, 
leaping  a  precipice  of  fifty  feet,  poured  its  flood  upon 
the  ocean.  The  old  line  of  coast,  a  mass  of  compact, 
indurated  lava,  whitened,  cracked,  and  fell.  The 
waters  recoiled,  and  sent  forth  a  tempest  of  spray ; 
they  foamed  and  lashed  around  and  over  the  melted 
rock ;  they  boiled  with  the  heat,  and  the  roar  of  the 
conflicting  agencies  grew  fiercer  and  louder.  The 
reports  of  the  exploding  gases  were  distinctly  heard 
twenty-five  miles  distant.  They  were  likened  to  dis 
charges  of  whole  broadsides  of  heavy  artillery. 
Streaks  of  the  intensest  light  glanced  like  lightning 
in  all  directions  ;  the  outskirts  of  the  burning  lava  as 

i  O 

it  fell,  cooled  by  the  shock,  was  shivered  into  millions 
of  fragments,  and,  borne  aloft  by  strong  breezes  blow 
ing  towards  the  land,  were  scattered  in  scintillarit 
showers  far  into  the  country.  For  three  successive 
weeks,  the  volcano  disgorged  an  uninterrupted  burn 
ing  tide,  with  scarcely  any  diminution,  into  the  ocean. 
On  either  side,  for  twenty  miles,  the  sea  became 
heated,  and  with  such  rapidity,  that  on  the  second 
day  of  the  junction  fishes  came  ashore  dead  in  great 
numbers  at  Keaau,  fifteen  miles  distant.  Six  weeks 
later,  at  the  base  of  the  hills,  the  water  continued 
scalding  hot,  and  sent  forth  steam  at  every  wash  of 
the  waves. 


ECCENTRIC  COURSE  OF  THE  STREAM.     275 

The  general  direction  of  the  stream  is  northeast, 
varying  from  north  to  east.  Lava,  upon  exposure  to 
the  atmosphere,  cools  with  the  rapidity  of  glass  ;  but 
when  confined,  and  in  large  masses,  retains  its  heat 
for  years. 

Mr.  Coan,  a  missionary  at  Hilo,  was  the  first  to 
explore  the  stream  to  its  source.  In  an  exceedingly 
interesting  letter  to  the  American  Board,  he  states, 
that  he  discovered  it  '  in  a  forest,  and  in  the  bottom  of 
an  ancient  wooded  crater,  about  four  hundred  feet 
deep,  and  probably  eight  miles  east  of  Kilauea.  The 
region,  being  uninhabited,  and  covered  with  a  thick 
et,  it  was  some  time  before  the  place  was  discovered, 
and  up  to  this  time,  though  several  foreigners  have 
attempted  it,  no  one,  except  myself,  has  reached  the 
spot.  From  Kilauea  to  the  place,  the  lava  flows  in 
a  subterranean  gallery,  probably  at  the  depth  of  a 
•thousand  feet ;  but  its  course  can  be  distinctly  traced 
all  the  way,  by  the  rending  of  the  crust  of  the  earth 
into  innumerable  fissures,  and  by  the  emission  of 
smoke,  steam,  and  gases.  The  eruption  in  this  old 
crater  is  small,  and  from  this  place  the  stream  disap 
pears  again  for  the  distance  of  a  mile  or  two,  when 
the  lava  again  gushed  up,  and  spread  over  an  area 
of  about  fifty  acres.  Again  it  passes  under  ground 
for  two  or  three  miles,  when  it  reappears  in  another 
old  wooded  crater,  consuming  the  forest,  and  partly 
filling  up  the  basin.  Once  more  it  disappears,  and, 
flowing  in  a  subterranean  channel,  cracks  and  breaks 
the  earth,  opening  fissures  from  six  inches  to  ten  and 
twelve  feet  in  width,  and  sometimes  uplifting  the 
trunk  of  a  tree  so  exactly,  that  its  legs  stand  astride 


276  EFFECTS. 

at  the  fissure.  At  some  places  it  is  impossible  to 
trace  the  subterranean  stream,  on  account  of  the  im 
penetrable  thickets  under  which  it  passes.  After 
flowing  under  ground  several  miles,  perhaps  six  or 
eight,  it  again  breaks  out  like  an  overwhelming 
flood.'  *  In  some  places,'  he  states,  '  the  molten 
stream  parted  and  flowed  in  separate  channels,  for  a 
considerable  distance,  and  then  reuniting,  formed 
islands  of  various  sizes,  from  one  to  fifty  acres,  with 
trees  still  standing,  but  seared  and  blighted  with  the 
intense  heat.' 

This  eruption,  in  point  of  magnitude,  has  seldom 
been  surpassed.  The  most  extensive  on  record  is 
that  of  Mount  Hecla,  in  1783,  which  formed  a  current 
twenty  leagues  in  length  by  four  in  breadth,  an  ex 
tent  w^hich,  however,  is,  I  think,  exceeded  in  several 
places  on  this  island.  The  largest  current  which  has 
ever  issued  from  Vesuvius  is  about  eleven  miles 
long ;  one  from  /Etna,  in  1778,  was  somewhat 
greater.  Three  years  before  this  last  eruption,  smoke 
and  steam  were  seen  issuing  from  near  where  it  first 
burst  forth,  and  a  year  later  a  huge  rent  was  made  in 
the  ground,  and  all  the  springs  in  the  vicinity  dried  up. 

It  is  remarkable,  that  during  this  eruption,  with  the 
exception  of  some  trivial  shocks  near  the  immediate 
scene  of  action,  no  earthquakes  occurred  ;  from  which 
it  would  appear  to  have  been  the  effect  of  no  sudden 
and  violent  commotion,  but  one  of  long  and  gradual 
preparation.  Kilauea  was  drained  to  the  depth  of 
several  hundred  feet. 

The  effect  upon  the  natives  was  somewhat  various. 
With  some,  it  revived  their  superstitious  fears,  and 


RETURN    TO    HILO.  277 

perhaps  adoration  was  again,  though  covertly,  paid 
to  Pele.  Some  considered  her  as  enraged  at  the 
neglect  of  her  worship,  and  desired  to  propitiate  the 
offended  goddess.  Others  attributed  it  to  the  agency 
of  the  spirit  of  some  powerful,  departed  chief.  Many 
spent  much  time  in  prayer  to  Jehovah,  and  in  reli 
gious  meetings  ;  a  few  fled  in  consternation,  while  the 
majority  manifested  a  leaden  apathy.  Neither  fear,  nor 
curiosity,  nor  any  sentient  faculty,  seemed  to  arouse 
them.  They  either  gazed  listlessly  upon  the  devouring 
flood,  wandering  along  its  margin,  and  coolly  noting 
its  progress  from  day  to  day,  or  stoically  pursued 
their  usual  avocations,  within  sight  and  hearing  of 
the  phenomenon,  regardless  of  the  burning  showers, 
and  its  near  approach.  Apparently,  they  were  as 
callous  to  all  sentiment  as  the  melting  rock  itself. 
Indeed,  a  great  number  of  the  population  are  equally 
as  indifferent  to  death,  come  in  what  form  it  may ; 
and  the  dreadful  pictures  which  have  so  often  been 
drawn  in  missionary  sermons  in  the  United  States, 
of  the  horrors  and  remorse  attending  the  death-bed 
scenes  of  a  heathen  or  half-converted  Polynesian,  are 
as  fictitious  as  the  travels  of  Gulliver.  They  have  no 
place  in  reality. 

On  the  10th  of  July,  having  received  notice  that 
the  vessel,  in  which  we  were  to  embark  for  Oahu  was 
awaiting  our  arrival  at  Hilo,  we  once  more  directed 
our  steps  towards  that  place.  Our  course  was  along 
the  shore,  which  is  here  formed  by  a  wall  from  thirty 
to  forty  feet  high,  on  which  the  surf  beats  loudly  and 
heavily.  The  country  bordering  it  is  picturesque, 
and  tolerably  fertile;  small  hamlets  are  frequent, 
24 


278        PRIMITIVE    STATE    OF    THE    INHABITANTS. 

situated  in  the  midst  of  shady  groves.  They  were 
built  after  the  primitive  fashion  of  the  country,  and 
the  inhabitants  generally  appeared  poor  and  desti 
tute.  Civilization,  whatever  it  had  done  elsewhere, 
had  evidently  made  but  small  progress  here,  and  the 
whole  scene,  probably,  differed  but  little  from  what  it 
appeared  in  the  days  of  Cook,  excepting  that  we  saw 
no  other  signs  of  heathenism  than  numerous  ruined 
temples.  The  people  were  civil  and  hospitable,  but 
of  darker  complexions  and  more  repulsive  counte 
nances  than  those  we  had  been  accustomed  to  seeing 
on  the  other  islands.  But  the  whole  landscape  had 
an  air  of  quiet  repose  and  happiness,  which  was  the 
more  gratifying,  from  contrast  with  the  dreary  spec 
tacle  we  had  jast  left.  The  males  were  mostly  em 
ployed  in  fishing,  which  labor,  to  judge  from  the 
rocky  landing-places,  and  the  rough  sea,  was  no 
sinecure.  They  assembled,  however,  very  readily,  at 
the  summons  of  a  conch,  to  attend  the  meetings 
which  the  missionary  held  at  every  village  we 
passed  through.  From  the  traces  of  cultivation,  the 
numerous  stone  pavements,  and  terraces  partially 
overgrown  with  vines  and  trees,  and  the  care  bestowed 
in  the  erection  of  their  habitations,  now  old  and  out 
of  repair,  this  evidently  was  once  a  populous  and 
flourishing  district.  The  wars  of  Kamehameha 
drained  it  of  its  able-bodied  men,  and  a  series  of  op 
pressive  governors  have  consummated  its  desolation. 
In  the  afternoon  we  reached  Hilo,  and  remained 
the  two  succeeding  days.  On  Sunday,  Mr.  Coan 
preached  to  a  congregation  of  two  thousand  persons. 
They  were  tolerably  well  clothed,  and  made  a  respect- 


SUNDAY. A  NEW  WAY  OF  PREACHING.    279 

able  as  well  as  a  devout  appearance.  The  sermon 
was  attentively  responded  to ;  for  the  method  of  Mr. 
Coan  is  to  engage  their  attention  by  sententious 
sentences  in  familiar  language,  intermingled  with 
exhortations  and  advice;  he  also  occasionally  ad 
dressed  them  in  colloquy,  obtaining  their  assent  or 
dissent,  as  might  be,  to  his  statements  and  opinions. 
The  answers  were  mostly  monopolized  by  a  bold 
fellow,  who  in  a  conspicuous  position  freely  uttered 
his  thoughts,  much  to  his  own  satisfaction,  and  the 
edification  of  the  remainder  of  the  congregation.  An 
air  of  intelligence  pervaded  the  whole  assembly,  as 
if  they  not  only  heard  bat  understood  the  sayings  of 
their  pastor.  Indeed,  Mr.  Coan  has  met  with  won 
derful  success,  and  much  of  it  is,  perhaps,  to  be 
attributed  to  his  style  of  preaching — at  once  sim 
ple,  energetic,  and  truthful. 

On  our  return  passage  we  passed  through  the 
channel  between  Maul  and  Hawaii,  notorious  for 
its  heavy  squalls,  rapid  currents,  and  short,  toppling 
seas.  The  beautiful  appearance  of  the  lofty  moun 
tains  on  either  side  is  some  alleviation,  however,  for 
this  complication  of  disagreeables,  but  my  purpose 
in  alluding  to  it  in  this  place  is  to  record  a  feat  in 
swimming,  which,  if  it  were  not  perfectly  well  au 
thenticated,  would  seem  to  be  incredible.  At  Hono 
lulu  it  was  a  common  affair  for  men  and  boys  to 
plunge  from  the  top-gallant  yards  of  large  ships,  pass 
under  their  bottoms,  and  reappear  on  the  other  side. 
I  have  known  them  bring  up  small  articles  lost  over 
board  in  ninety  feet  of  water,  and  it  is  asserted  of  a 
woman,  who  was  capsized  in  a  canoe  when  two 


280  FEATS    IN    SWIMMING. 

miles  from  shore,  that  she  swam  the  whole  distance 
to  land  with  a  shark  in  full  pursuit,  seeking  an 
opportunity  to  make  a  meal  of  her ;  but  the  activity 
and  coolness  she  displayed  proved  too  much  for  the 
rapacious  and  cowardly  fish.  These  feats  sink  into 
insignificance  compared  with  the  following,  which 
also  serves  to  show  how  much  at  home  the  natives 
are  upon  the  waves,  and  that  there  is  considerable 
truth  in  the  statement  often  made  in  regard  to  them, 
namely,  that  a  native  may  perish  from  hunger  and 
exhaustion  upon  the  water,  but  he  will  not  drown. 
The  schooner  Kiola,  a  small  vessel  of  thirty-five  tons, 
left  Lahaina  for  Kawaihae  on  the  ninth  of  May,  1840. 
She  was  in  an  unseaworthy  condition,  having  been 
ashore,  but,  with  the  characteristic  recklessness  of 
Hawaiians,  was  sent  to  sea  again  without  being 
repaired.  From  thirty  to  forty  people  were  on  board. 
On  the  afternoon  of  the  subsequent  day,  they  had 
arrived  to  within  ten  miles  of  Kahola  point,  Hawaii ; 
Maui  was  but  just  visible  in  the  distance.  The  wind 
breezed  up  strong,  and  the  vessel  careened  much  to 
the  leeward;  the  stone  ballast  rolled  over  in  that 
direction,  and  part  of  her  cargo  immediately  followed. 
Her  bows  were  suddenly  thrown  under,  and,  before 
she  could  recover  herself,  the  water  rushed  into  her 
hatches,  and  she  filled  and  went  down,  carrying 
with  her  a  number  who  were  unable  to  extricate 
themselves  from  her  hold.  The  remainder,  at  the 
summons  of  Mauae,  a  pious  native,  who,  during  the 
morning,  (it  was  Sunday,)  had  conducted  divine 
service,  assembled  as  near  each  other  as  it  was  possi 
ble,  while  he  implored  succor  from  above.  Although 


CHAPTER  VII 


CENTRAL     AMERICA. 


Different  Routes.  —  Difficulties. —  Embarkation  for  Panama. — 
Fellow  Passengers.  —  Acapulco.  —  Trouble.  —  Imprisonment 
and  Release. —  Admiral  Du  Petit  Thouars — Mexican  Hospi 
tality.  —  Gulf  of  Tecuantepec.  —  Phosphorescence.  —  Volca 
noes  of  Guatimala. —  Arrival  at  Acajutla. —  Brigantine  at  An 
chor. —  Shore. —  Roadstead  of  Acajutla. —  Surf. —  Boats  Capsized. 

—  Custom   House. —  A    Hospitable    Lady. — Leave    the    Brig. 

—  Road    to    Zonzonate.  —  Sugar    and     Indigo    Plantations.  — 
Ruins.  —  Age  of   Zonzonate.  —  Population.  —  A  Blind    Hostess. 

—  Carnival.  —  Man    Killed.  —  A     Benefit    from     a    Thespian 
Corps. —  Country  Cousins.  —  News  from  Guatimala.  —  Wars  in 
the  Interior. —  A  Dilemma. —  Conclude  to  Go-ahead.  —  Prepara 
tions.  —  An    Auxiliary.  —  Leave    Zonzonate.  —  Cordilleras.  — 
Volcano  of  Itzalco. —  Dry  and   Wet   Seasons.  —  An  Indian  Vil 
lage. —  A  Meditated  Attack.  —  Change  of  Route.  —  An  Indian 
Hamlet. —  A  Submerged  Town. —  An  Escape.  —  A  Fresh  Alarm. 

—  Village  of  St.  Helena.  —  Bad  News.  —  A  Council.  —  A  Night 
March. —  Pass  through  Chiquimula.  —  Efforts  to  capture  us. — 
A  Hard  Road,  and  a  Thirsty  Party.  —  Pass  Zacapa.  —  A  Dilem 
ma. —  San  Pablo.  —  A  Halt.  —  Slumbers  interrupted. —  Captured. 

—  An  unexpected  Friend.  —  Release. —  Gualan.  —  A  surly  Land 
lady. —  Mico  Mountain.  —  Isabel.  —  Trade.  —  Scenery  of  the  Gulf 
of  Dulce. —  Boat   Navigation. —  Chills  and    Fever.  —  Balize. — 
Arrive  Home. 

IT  has  always  been,  and  seems  likely  ever  to  be,  a 
problem  of  considerable  importance  to  the  sojourner 
at  the  Hawaiian  Islands,  when  his  thoughts  and  de- 


284  EMBARKATION    FOR    PANAMA. 

sires  are  homeward  turned,  how  he  shall  reach  that 
home.  Be  he  of  the  United  States,  or  England,  or 
France,  the  question  is  one  of  equal  interest  to  each 
of  them,  and  whatever  may  have  been  their  differ 
ences  of  opinions  while  residing  on  the  sea-girt 
group,  a  unison  of  sentiment  is  sure,  on  such  an  oc 
casion,  to  manifest  itself.  All  are  equally  desirous 
of  reaching  home  the  safest,  speediest,  and  most 
agreeable  way,  and  of  a  multiplicity  of  bad  and 
dangerous  routes  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  fix  the  choice 
upon  any  one. 

It  was  in  the  fall  of  1837,  that  I  found  myself  at 
Honolulu,  one  day,  in  company  with  a  half  a  dozen 
others,  all  of  whom  were  speculating  as  to  how  they 
should  reach  the  United  States.  The  arguments, 
pro  and  con,  the  several  ways  that  presented  them 
selves,  it  is  now  useless  to  repeat.  Panama  was  to 
be  the  first  port  we  should  make,  and  the  Isthmus  of 
Darien  the  crossing-place,  thus  combiningas  little  land 
and  water  in  our  jaunt  as  it  were  possible.  A  dim 
inutive  brigantine  was  found,  the  far-famed  and  no 
torious  Clementine,  of  Hawaiian  annals,  the  agent 
of  which  engaged  to  land  us  at  the  port  we  sought. 
A  little  scouring  and  furbishing  prepared  her  for  our 
reception,  and  that  of  a  numerous  colony  of  poultry 
and  other  live  stock,  destined,  however,  to  keep  us 
company  no  longer  than  our  appetites  should  con 
sent. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  under  a  succession  of 
cheers  from  the  crowd  assembled  to  witness  our  de 
parture,  and  a  couple  of  guns  from  a  friendly  brig, 
hands  were  shaken,  anchor  weighed,  top-sail  sheeted 


EMBARKATION    FOR    PANAMA.  285 

home,  and  in  ten  minutes  the  Clementine  had  cleared 
the  last  point  of  the  reef,  and  was  rolling  before  a 
fresh  trade  along  the  leeward  side  of  the  island.  In 
eighteen  days,  the  coast  of  California  was  descried, 
along  whose  rocky  and  barren  shore  we  sailed,  keep 
ing  within  a  few  miles. 

Passing  Cape  St.  Lucas,  the  forest-clad  islands 
of  Tres  Marias  and  the  Mexican  coast  soon  appeared 
in  view.  I  have  spent  much  time  on  the  water,  but 
never  so  agreeably  as  on  the  present  occasion.  The 
usual  monotony  of  sea-life  could  not  have  been  more 
delightfully  varied.  So  smooth  was  the  ocean,  that 
it  could  be  compared  to  nothing  but  a  vast  river. 
The  breezes  were  off-land  by  night,  cool  and  balmy, 
and  on-shore  by  day,  mitigating  the  heat  which  oth 
erwise  would  have  been  almost  insupportable.  Our 
course  brought  us  from  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to 
a  league  of  the  coast,  which  presented  a  mingled 
landscape  of  valley  and  mountain,  plain  and  dell, 
all,  as  it  was  the  pleasant  season,  clothed  in  luxuri 
ant  verdure.  Numerous  Indian  hamlets  dotted  the 
shore,  their  smokes  ascending  and  curling  from  the 
tops  of  the  trees,  while  by  night  as  we  passed  along, 
their  flames  resembled  so  many  fire-flies  dancing  over 
the  scene.  The  atmosphere  was  perfectly  trans 
lucent  ;  of  that  purity  and  clearness  of  which  the  in 
habitants  of  the  temperate  zones  have  no  conception, 
and  which,  seemingly,  brings  the  most  distant  objects 
to  within  touching  distance.  The  scenery  formed  a 
perfect  panorama,  or  picture,  in  just  the  light  and 
distance  to  bring  out  all  its  beauties,  and  heighten  its 
natural  colors,  without  disclosing  a  single  defect. 


286  ACAPULCO. 

In  the  background  rose  the  abrupt  and  lofty  out 
line  of  the  Cordilleras,  prominent  in  which,  and  rising 
high  above,  its  base  concealed  by  mountains  nearer  the 
shore,  the  snowy  peak  of  Colima,  like  a  suspend 
ed  pearl  in  the  atmosphere,  was  visible  in  solitary, 
yet  beautiful  grandeur.  The  region  abounded  in 
volcanoes.  Occasionally,  the  lurid  flames  of  an 
active  crater  would  shoot  up  high  above  its  edge,  and 
its  light,  reflected  upon  the  overhanging  clouds,  was 
a  beacon  to  our  progress  by  night,  as  its  smoke 
proved  by  day.  Colima  has  an  elevation  of  nine 
thousand  feet;  the  neighboring  country  is  so  uneasy, 
that  in  common  parlance  the  inhabitants  are  said  to 
sleep  with  one  leg  out  of  bed,  to  be  on  the  qm  vive, 
in  case  an  earthquake  should  interrupt  their  slumbers. 

Beside  such  rich  and  diversified  scenery,  we  float 
ed  along,  seldom  exceeding  seventy-five  miles  per 
day,  until  day-break  of  the  morning  of  the  10th  of 
January,  1838,  when  finding  ourselves  becalmed  off 
the  port  of  Acapulco,  the  Captain  determined  upon 
sending  a  boat  ashore  to  procure  supplies  of  fresh 
provisions,  of  which  we  were  greatly  in  need.  I 
say  we  found  ourselves  off  Acapulco ;  I  should  have 
said  that  our  course  and  chronometer  observations 
put  us  there.  But  no  appearance  of  a  port  could  be 
seen,  particularly  such  a  port  as  it  was  natural  to  ex 
pect  the  best  harbor  of  Mexico  should  be,  which  for 
centuries  had  poured  forth  argosies  freighted  with 
the  gold,  silver,  and  precious  stones  of  the  richest 
country  in  metals  on  the  globe.  The  coast,  here, 
appeared  as  sparsely  inhabited  as  any  portion  of  that 
we  had  passed.  It  was  equally  as  verdant  and 


TROUBLE.  287 

mountainous,  and  to  our  eyes  presented  nothing  that 
resembled  a  harbor.  A  cove  made  someway  inland, 
and  a  few  huts  occupied  the  beach.  For  sometime 
we  speculated  upon  whether  this  could  be  the  port 
in  question.  Before  we  had  settled  it,  however,  the 
roll  of  a  dram  and  the  notes  of  a  bugle  reached  our 
ears.  Turning  our  eyes  in  the  direction  from  whence 
the  sound  proceeded,  the  stern  of  a  large  frigate, 
with  the  tri-colored  flag  of  France  at  the  spanker-gaft, 
was  discernible,  though  the  remainder  of  her  seem 
ed  as  if  it  were  buried  in  the  bold  promontory  which 
had  heretofore  concealed  her  from  our  notice.  She 
lay  close  in  to  the  shore,  blended  with  and  overhung 
by  a  lofty  wooded  cliff.  The  entrance  to  the  harbor 
being  discovered,  a  boat  with  two  of  our  passengers 
was  despatched  ashore,  while  the  brigantine  lay  off 
and  on.  The  passengers  promised  a  speedy  return. 
Rowing  round  under  the  stern  of  the  frigate,  they 
were  soon  lost  to  our  view,  while  our  imagi nations 
were  regaling  us  wiih  the  idea  of  the  delicious  fruits 
the  gentlemen  were  to  bring  off.  The  morning 
passed,  and  noon  came  and  went,  and  yet  they  made 
not  their  appearance.  We  began  to  be  a  little  vexed, 
that  they  should  be  having  all  the  fun  and  fruit  to 
themselves.  The  sun  set,  and  still  no  news  of  the 
wanderers. 

In  the  course  of  the  evening,  a  boat  from  the 
frigate,  which  proved  to  be  the  Venus,  Admiral  Du 
Petit  Thouars,  came  alongside,  and  brought  intelli 
gence  of  the  fugitives. 

It  appeared,  that  upon  landing,  they  had  proceed 
ed  directly  to  the  custom-house,  and  reported  the  na- 


288         IMPRISONMENT  AND  RELEASE. 

ture  and  object  of  their  visit.  Imagine  their  surprise, 
when,  instead  of  the  welcome  buenas  dias  senores, 
I  wish  you  a  good  morning,  gentlemen  —  they  were 
suddenly  seized,  placed  under  arrest,  and  informed 
that  they  must  pay  each  a  fine  of  three  hundred  dol 
lars,  before  they  could  either  be  released,  or  hold  any 
communication  with '  their  vessel.  As  some  excuse 
was  to  be  invented  for  this  robbery,  they  hunted  up 
an  old  Spanish  law,  by  which  a  heavy  fine  was  to 
be  inflicted  upon  any  one  that  landed  from  a  vessel 
after  her  arrival  at  Acapulco,  before  she  had  been 
boarded  and  examined  by  the  port  authorities.  They 
turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  representation  that  the  brig- 
antine  was  not  bound  to  any  Mexican  port,  and  had 
merely  sent  a  boat  ashore  to  the  proper  authorities  to 
beg  the  permission  to  purchase  necessary  supplies. 
Every  entreaty  or  threat  was  in  vain,  without  los 
pesos.  It  seems  that  two  whaling  captains,  not  long 
before,  had  been  decoyed  ashore  and  spunged  after 
the  same  plan,  and  they,  finding  the  business  profita 
ble,  were  very  determined  in  this  instance.  But  for 
once  they  were  mistaken.  An  American  in  the 
Mexican  service  managed  to  hold  intercourse  with 
his  countrymen,  and,  though  closely  watched,  con 
trived  to  smuggle  a  letter  to  the  French  Admiral. 
Upon  its  receipt,  he  immediately  waited  upon  the 
governor,  an  ignorant  half-caste,  who  could  neither 
read  nor  write,  and  promptly  demanded  their  release. 
After  sundry  hems  and  has,  and  more  excuses,  and 
endeavoring  to  shift  the  responsibility  to  the  officers 
of  the  port,  he  finally  ordered  them  to  be  set  at  lib 
erty,  with  a  special  edict  that  they  should  leave  the 


GULF    OF    TECUANTEPEC.  289 

place  instanter;  this  latter  injunction  required  no 
physical  enforcement,  for  the  prisoners  by  this  time 
had  had  their  fill  of  Mexican  hospitality,  and  felt  not 
the  slightest  inclination  to  trespass  upon  it  longer. 
They  soon  made  tfieir  appearance,  hungry  as  sharks, 
but  well  satisfied  that  their  pockets  had  not  been  bled, 
and  will,  no  doubt,  ever  retain  towards  the  gallant 
Admiral  a  proportionate  amount  of  gratitude. 

The  town  of  Acapulco,  or  what  remained  of  its 
former  grandeur,  was  in  great  confusion  ;  a  recent 
earthquake  having  jostled  everything  out  of  its  place, 
and  added  new  piles  to  the  former  masses  of  ruin. 
The  harbor  is  entirely  land-locked,  safe,  blow  the 
wind  as  it  may,  easy  of  access,  and  capacious. 

From  the  statements  of  our  unfortunate  friends, 
we  were  not  anxious  to  remain  longer  in  this  vicin 
ity,  and  accordingly  all  sail  was  made,  and  by  morn 
ing  we  were  forty  miles  to  the  south  of  Acapulco. 
The  water  about  us  was  now  alive  with  fishes  of 
many  varieties,  many  of  which,  from  day  to  day, 
smoked  upon  our  table.  The  dolphins  here  are  of 
the  largest  and  most  beautiful  kind;  their  dying 
colors  can  only  be  compared  to  the  evanescent  tints 
of  a  tropical  sunset.  We  were  continually  passing 
turtles  asleep  on  the  water,  and  once,  by  a  little  man 
agement,  we  were  enabled  to  drive  a  harpoon  through 
one,  and  got  him  in  on  deck.  However,  his  flesh 
did  not  equal  the  anticipations  of  our  appetites. 

As  we  advanced,  the  coast,  though  fertile,  became 

rougher  and  less  picturesque,  presenting  numerous 

appearances  of  recent  and  powerful  volcanic  action. 

Every  breeze  from  its  shore  wafted  to  us  a  perfume 

25 


290  VOLCANOES    OF    GUATIMALA. 

which  would  not  have  discredited  '  Araby  the  blest.' 
During  the  day,  the  weather  became  very  hot,  but 
continued  comfortable  at  night.  Tedious  calms 
greatly  interrupted  our  progress  across  the  Gulf  of 
Tecuantepec.  At  this  season  of-  the  year  they  ap 
pear  to  usurp  the  place  of  the  violent  gales,  which 
prevail  here  during  other  months,  rivalling,  in  vio 
lence,  the  typhoons  of  Japan.  At  any  rate,  it  was  all 
quiet  and  pleasant  with  us.  At  night,  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach,  the  ocean  was  covered  with  innu 
merable  and  brilliant  specks  of  light,  shedding  their 
lustre  upon  our  sails  and  rigging,  and  dancing  about 
over  the  water  like  myriads  of  fire-flies,  giving  out  a 
sparkling  radiance  that  shone  like  the  light  of  stars 
upon  a  clear  winter's  night  in  the  frozen  north. 
The  phosphorescent  appearance  of  the  sea  is  very 
common.  But  this  peculiarly  beautiful  exhibition  is 
seldom  seen.  Off  the  coast  of  Chili,  a  few  years 
afterward,  when  on  board  of  a  fast-sailing  sloop-of- 
war  that  was  dashing  along  before  a  spanking  breeze, 
we  came  into  a  field  of  these  animalculae.  The 
whole  ship  was  lighted  by  the  intenseness  of  their 
illumination,  and  as  they  were  stirred  up  and  whirled 
about  in  the  wake,  and  thrown  in  foam  over  the 
bows  and  fonvard  guns,  the  appearance  was  most 
sublime.  It  was  like  sailing  through  an  ocean  of 
gems ;  the  splendor  of  each  receiving  additional  lus 
tre  from  its  neighbor. 

On  the  20th  of  January,  so  slow  had  been  our 
progress,  from  twenty-five  to  forty  miles  per  day,  we 
had  only  come  in  sight  of  the  famous  volcanoes  of 
Agua  and  Fuego.  From  their  great  altitude,  fifteen 


ARRIVAL    AT    ACAJUTLA.  291 

thousand  feet,  they  remained  in  view  for  several  days. 
At  early  dawn  their  summits  were  remarkably  dis 
tinct  and  bold,  presenting  a  giant  outline,  springing, 
as  it  were,  from  oui  the  very  horizon.  But  at  sunset, 
nothing  could  exceed  the  beautiful  hues  with  which 
their  tops  were  enshrouded.  Long  after  the  sun  had 
sank  beneath  the  ocean  to  the  west,  his  rays  hovered 
and  played  about  their  snowy  heights,  reflecting  a 
flood  of  light  of  various  colors,  sometimes  dazzling, 
then  mellow,  and  gradually  disappearing,  until  the 
blackness  of  night  shrouded  the  whole  landscape. 

On  the  24lh  we  dropped  anchor  in  the  roadstead 
of  Acajutla.  It  was  our  intention  merely  to  replen 
ish  our  stores,  and  then  make  all  despatch  for  Pana 
ma,  which  was  still  six  hundred  miles  distant. 

So  prevalent  had  been  the  calms,  that  for  the  past 
fortnight  we  had  made  but  four  hundred  miles. 
After  so  long  a  confinement  on  board  our  small  craft, 
the  shore  looked  more  than  ordinarily  tempting;  it 
was  verdant  to  the  beach,  which  was  lined  with  a 
formidable  row  of  breakers.  It  was  late  in  the  eve 
ning  before  the  brigantine  was  made  snug  and  riding 
at  her  anchor,  the  first,  time  it  had  been  dropped  for 
sixty  days.  At  night  several  volcanoes  were  visible, 
emitting  either  smoke  or  flames.  That  of  Izalco, 
which  was  nearest  us,  glowed  like  a  Brobdignag 
lighthouse  ;  showing  a  steady  and  immense  ball  of 
fire.  Some  of  our  party  fancied,  before  the  light  had 
wholly  gone,  they  felt  the  shock  of  an  earthquake. 
It  was  not  improbable,  though  it  must  have  been 
very  faint,  for,  novices  as  we  were  to  such  freaks  of 
nature,  we  could  not  agree  upon  a  unanimous  verdict 
as  to  its  genuineness  or  not. 


292  ROADSTEAD    OF    ACAJU1%A. 

The  roadstead  of  Acajutla  is  open  and  exposed  to 
the  surges  of  the  Pacific  at  its  greatest  width.  Con 
sequently,  landing  through  its  surf  is  not  altogether 
fnn,  as  some  of  our  number  soon  learned,  to  their  cost. 
The  first  boat  sent  ashore  was  knocked  end  over  end, 
and  thrown  high  upon  the  beach,  broken  and  useless 
for  the  future.  Several  of  the  crew  were  injured, 
though  fortunately,  not  seriously.  The  launch  was 
then  tried,  and  it  met  with  a  similar  somerset,  though 
owing  to  its  stronger  materials  it  was  not  stove. 

o  o 

The  passengers  who  had  ventured  in  her  were  rolled 
up  the  beach,  choking  with  salt  and  sand,  and  most 
thoroughly  soused.  After  these  mishaps,  we  used 
the  country  launches  or  bungos.  An  English  man- 
of-war  brig,  but  a  few  days  previous  to  our  arrival, 
lost  two  men  in  the  surf,  and  her  boat  was  detained 
ashore  for  one  week. 

Acajutla  lies  in  thirteen  degrees  north.  It  is  the 
port  of  Zonzonate,  arid  under  the  government  of 
Spain  was  a  place  of  considerable  trade.  It  is  still 
visited  by  vessels  of  different  nations,  and  under  an 
enlightened  government  would  soon  rival  its  former 
importance.  It  is  on  the  shores  of  San  Salvador, 
the  '  Cuscatlan,'  or  land  of  riches  of  the  aborigines; 
and  rightly  is  it  named,  as  far  as  nature  has  bestowed 
her  gifts. 

A  battery  of  heavy  guns  surmounts  a  steep  hill, 
fronting  the  landing-place.  Ascending  the  hill  by  a 
stone  causeway,  we  reached  the  custom-house  and  a 
range  of  extensive  warehouses,  which  at  a  distance 
made  a  very  imposing  appearance,  but  upon  nearer 
inspection  were  found  to  be  mostly  in  ruins.  They 


CUSTOM-HOUSE.  293 

were  formerly  occupied  as  store-houses  for  merchan 
dise,  under  the  Spanish  regime,  when  trade  and  in 
dustry  were  in  a  more  prosperous  condition  than  at 
present.  A  captain  of  the  port,  a  few  soldiers,  and 
a  few  other  characters,  who  were  neither  too  lazy 
nor  too  proud  to  bestir  themselves,  provided  they 
were  well  paid,  constituted  the  military  force.  All 
were  very  civil  and  obliging,  and  gave  us  not  the 
slightest  trouble  in  bringing  our  baggage  ashore. 
With  all  the  signs  of  decay  about  us,  the  spot  was  a 
cheerful  looking  one.  In  the  rear  of  the  custom 
house  was  the  town.  It  consisted  of  about  two 
dozen  cane  huts,  through  the  interstices  of  whose 
sides  the  weather  had  free  access.  Their  style  of 
building  argued  much  for  the  salubrity  of  the  place, 
and  evenness  of  its  temperature.  Grass  hammocks, 
a  wooden  stool  or  two,  a  few  shelves,  and  some  non 
descript  articles  of  earthen-ware,  constituted  the  sum 
total  of  their  household  effects.  The  climate  required 
but  little  clothing,  and  as  for  the  inhabitants,  they 
were  of  all  hues,  the  copper  color  greatly  predominat 
ing.  Their  occupations  seemed  to  be  limited  ;  those 
we  saw  were  either  idly  swinging  in  their  hammocks, 
washing  clothes,  or  else  dancing  most  vigorously  to 
the  notes  of  an  instrument  resembling  the  guitar. 

Leaving  them  to  the  full  enjoyment  of  their  pur 
suits,  I  wandered  again  with  two  of  my  fellow- 
passengers  towards  the  custom-house.  Upon  reach 
ing  it,  a  lady,  whose  personal  appearance  and  the 
deference  paid  her  showed  her  to  be  of  a  higher  rank 
than  the  other  females  whom  we  had  met,  accosted 


294  A    HOSPITABLE    LADY. 

us  in  a  courteous  manner,  and  invited  us  to  enter  her 
dwelling.  She  ushered  us  into  a  large  room,  which 
formed  a  wing  of  the  custom-house.  The  walls, 
which  were  several  feet  thick,  were  black  with  age 
and  dirt.  The  floor  was  of  rough  stone.  One  un- 
glazed  window,  secured  by  iron  bars  and  massive 
shutters,  let  light  into  the  apartment.  The  furniture 
consisted  of  several  trunks  made  of  ox-hide,  a  bench, 
a  table,  a  chair,  and  a  stool,  all  of  the  rudest  con 
struction  ;  the  latter  of  which  were  allotted  to  UP, 
while  the  good  lady,  par  necessitate,  seated  herself 
on  the  bed,  a  diminutive  species  of  couch,  decora 
ted  with  lace  curtains,  ornamented  with  silver  clasps. 
Our  hostess  evidently  was  young,  but  appeared  to 
be  afflicted  with  some  painful  disorder.  She  soon 
informed  us  of  its  nature,  and  to  verify  her  asser 
tions,  brought  forward  vials  of  horrid  looking  mix 
tures,  the  very  sight  of  which  was  sufficient  to  make 
•a  well  man  feel  qualmish.  She  seemed  to  feel  all 
the  interest  in  their  several  virtues,  that  a  fond  moth 
er  does  in  her  children. 

An  invitation  to  dine  had  been  extended  to  us, 
and  hungry  as  our  ramble  had  made  us,  we  were 
quite  curious,  with  the  glance  we  had  already  had 
of  her  domestic  arrangement,  to  discover  how  so 
important  a  ceremony  was  to  be  accomplished.  A 
few  weeks  more  experience  in  the  country,  and  we 
looked  back  upon  our  entertainment  of  this  day,  in 
much  the  same  light  that  the  Israelites  of  yore  did 
to  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt.  However,  it  was  evident 
that  the  lady's  hospitality  somewhat  exceeded  her 


A    HOSPITABLE    LADY.  295 

resources,  but  she  knew  well  that  if  we  left  her  roof 
our  chance  for  going  dinnerless  that  day  was  by  no 
means  problematical.  There  was  no  going  on  ship 
board,  and  as  for  a  meal  in  Acajutla  sufficient  for  three 
ravenous  yankees,  you  might  as  well  look  for  an 
orange-grove  in  Greenland.  It  was  no  fault  of  hers 
that  we  did  not  fare  sumptuously.  Two  servant 
women,  on  whom  it  would  have  been  difficult  to 
have  decided  whether  filth  or  rags  predominated, 
made  their  appearance,  and  from  one  of  the  afore 
mentioned  trunks  dislodged  two  perfect  knives  and 
forks,  two  imperfect  ditto,  and  a  few  plates.  These 
materials,  with  a  couple  of  tumblers,  completed  the 
table  gear.  Several  stews  liberally  saturated  with 
garlics,  and  some  capital  white  bread,  to  which  we 
did  abundant  justice,  I  fear  to  the  serious  detriment 
of  her  store,  furnished  us  a  much  better  repast  than 
we  had  anticipated.  It  was  our  first  dinner  in  Cen 
tral  America,  eaten  with  the  more  zest  from  being 
provided  in  the  spirit  of  genuine  hospitality.  The 
lady's  kindness  extended  even  to  loaning  her  pet- 
horse,  a  beautiful  animal.  Her  rank  was  not  incon 
siderable.  She  was  a  niece  of  General  Morazan, 
then  President  of  the  Republic,  with  whose  romantic 
career,  and  melancholy  end,  the  public  have  since 
been  made  acquainted.  God  grant,  that  his  kind 
niece,  if  she  survived  her  medicines,  did  not  share 
his  misfortunes.  The  heart  clings  to  him,  or  her, 
who  first  welcomes  the  stranger  in  a  strange  land ; 
and  the  courteous  greeting  with  which  this  invalid 
invited  us  freely  to  partake  of  the  best  that  she  had 
the  ability  to  bestow,  was  the  more  pleasing  as  it 
was  unexpected. 


296  LODGING-PLACE. 

•  • 

Although  she  was  enabled,  by  extra  exertions,  to 
provide  us  a  dinner,  it  needed  no  second  glance  to 
assure  us  that  beds  were  out  of  the  question,  and  a 
night's  lodging  must  depend  upon  our  own  exertions. 
Towards  dark  we  strolled  back  again  towards  the 
miserable  huts  which  we  had  visited  in  the  morning. 
All  appearances  of  labor  and  even  laziness  had 
ceased,  and,  excited  by  the  fumes  of  aguadiente,  the 
motley  population  had  assembled  in  and  about  one 
of  the  huts,  and  were  engaged  in  a  high  frolic.  They 
sang  and  danced  to  the  thrumming  of  those  monoto 
nous-toned  instruments,  whose  notes  resembled  more 
the  noise  of  some  vile  insect  than  anything  musical. 
They  were  a  ragged-looking  set,  and  unaccustomed 
as  we  were  then  to  the  lowering  mestizo  counte 
nance,  and  nervous  manner  in  which  they  handled 
their  knives,  their  glances  towards  us  seemed  some 
what  suspicious.  At  any  rate,  we  felt  no  inclination 
to  share  their  lodgings.  Our  last  resort  was  to  throw 
ourselves  upon  the  hospitality  of  the  friendly  port- 
captain.  We  found  him  in  one  of  the  apartments 
of  the  huge  custom-house,  and  he  rejoiced  our  weary 
limbs  by  the  information  that  a  room  in  the  same 
building  was  at  our  disposal.  As  it  was  late,  we 
accepted  his  offer  at  once.  He  led  us  to  the  farther 
end  of  the  massive  range,  and,  entering  a  deserted 
room,  bade  us  follow  him  up  a  tortuous  stair-case. 
This  brought  us  into  a  spacious  apartment  with  a 
stone  floor.  By  the  light  of  the  moon  which  shone 
through  a  large  door- way,  leading  to  an  ample  corri 
dor,  from  which  the  bay,  with  the  vessels  quietly 
riding  at  their  anchors  in  the  offing  were  distinctly 


CENTRAL  AMERICAN  FLEAS.          297 

visible,  a  hammock  and  two  bedsteads  were  discov 
ered.  Other  furniture,  neither  they  nor  the  room  could 
claim,  except  a  dense  layer  of  dust  and  venerable 
festoons  of  cobwebs.  We  were  too  tired  to  bestow 
a  thought  upon  the  probable  chances  of  treading 
upon  a  centipede  or  snake,  or  of  finding  our  intended 
resting-places  previously  engaged  by  a  scorpion  or 
tarantula.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation,  each  of 
us  yankees  threw  himself  upon  the  nearest  couch. 
The  Peruvian  Colonel,  upon  first  entering,  had 
secured  the  hammock  to  himself.  As  we  took  the 
only  choice  left  us,  I  thought  I  could  distinguish  an 
involuntary  chuckle  proceeding  from  him.  In  a 
minute,  his  sagacity  in  selecting  the  hammock,  which 
hung  several  feet  above  the  floor,  \vas  manifest.  I 
don  't  know  why,  but  the  idea  of  fleas  had  never 
occurred  to  me.  Fleas!  I  thought  that  a  Valparaiso 
flea  was  keen  at  his  trade ;  but  I  discovered  fleas  in 
Peru  that  were  sharper  and  nimbler  still.  Since  this 
eventful  night,  I  have  been  flea-victimized  on  the 
cold  mountains  of  Hawaii,  and  the  scorched  plains 
of  Kauai,  but  never  in  all  the  course  of  my  ramblings 
have  I  met  the  equal  of  the  Central  American  fleas. 
We  had  lain  down  upon  the  hard  boards,  in  the  vain 
hope  that  our  fatigue  would  soon  render  us  imper 
vious  to  all  external  sensations;  but,  oh!  the  misery 
of  that  night.  In  an  instant  a  legion  of  the  insatiable 
foe  were  upon  and  over  as ;  in  our  pantaloons  and 
under  our  shirts,  thrusting  themselves  through  our 
stockings,  and  seeking  lodgings  for  themselves  in  the 
folds  of  our  neck-cloths.  There  were  the  innumer 
able  multitude  in  each  and  all  of  these  places  at 


298  LEAVE    THE    BRIGANTINE. 

once,  kicking,  scratching,  fighting,  hopping,  and  bit 
ing;  now  gently  tickling,  then  thrusting  their  pro- 
bosces  into  us  with  an  energy  that  made  us  yell  for 
mercy.  If  my  reader  has  ever  watched  the  motions 
of  a  hooked  eel,  when  he  is  first  landed,  or  an  im 
paled  worm,  he  can  form  some  faint  conception  of 
our  contortions  during  that  night.  It  was  no  use 
straggling,  they  were  neither  to  be  frightened  nor 
scratched  off.  We  kicked  and  we  screamed ;  the 
colonel  chuckled  a  little  louder;  we  laughed,  as  it 
was  no  use  to  cry;  the  hammock  actually  shook 
under  the  merriment  of  the  old  soldier,  as  he  listened 
to  our  plight,  for  it  was  too  dark  to  see  it.  It  was 
no  relief  to  vent  our  ire  upon  him  ;  either  of  us  would 
gladly  have  followed  his  example.  Finally,  he  grin 
ned  himself  to  sleep  ;  we  arose  and  walked  the  room  ; 
but  the  fleas  had  prospered  in  that  untenanted  build 
ing,  and  such  a  feast  had  probably  never  fallen  to 
their  lot,  for  a  half-century  before,  and  I  most  devoutly 
hope,  for  the  sake  of  all  future  travellers,  will  never 
again.  They  seemed  to  be  fearful  themselves  of  a 
failure  in  that  quarter,  and  most  industriously  made 
use  of  their  teeth  and  time.  I  went  out  upon  the 
corridor;  tried  to  be  sentimental  over  the  moon-lit 
sea,  the  surf-beaten  shore,  and  volcanoes,  disgorging 
flames  and  smoke  in  the  distance.  But.  it  was  of  no 
use ;  the  fleas  followed  me  there,  and  not  one  moment's 
rest  during  that  night,  which  seemed  as  long  as  a 
polar  day  at  the  summer  solstice,  did  I  obtain. 

Such  discouraging  accounts  were  told  us  of  the 
calms  between  this  port  and  Panama,  and  the  long 
delay  that  we  should  probably  be  subjected  to,  in 


ZONZONATE.  299 

endeavoring  to  reach  that  place,  that  we  held  a  grand 
council,  and  came  to  the  unanimous  decision  to 
leave  the  brigantine  here,  and  make  the  best  of  our 
way  over  land,  to  the  port  of  Isabel  on  the  Gulf  of 
Dulce,  a  jaunt  which  we  were  informed  would 
occupy  us  eight  days. 

Zonzonate  lies  fifteen  miles  inland.  The  road 
thither  is  through  a  forest,  dotted  at  intervals  with 
small  Indian  hamlets.  Upon  our  arrival  there,  our 
first  care  was  a  lodging-place.  A  po^ada  was  first 
tried,  but  the  gambling,  fighting,  and  carousing,  after 
one  night's  experience  within  its  precincts,  drove  us 
to  seek  fresh  quarters.  Fortunately,  these  were  found 
in  a  private  family,  whose  attention  and  kindness  to 
us  were  unremilted.  Upon  taking  possession  of  our 
new  quarters,  we  learned  news  that  was  by  no  means 
agreeable.  Without  being  made  acquainted  with 
the  particulars,  we  heard  that  a  civil  war  was  raging 
in  the  interior,  on  the  very  line  of  our  intended  route, 
and  that  the  inhabitants  were  particularly  exasperated 
against  foreigners. 

Zonzonate  is  situated  amid  an  exceedingly  rich 
country,  and  is  one  of  the  chief  towns  of  the  State 
of  San  Salvador.  It  is  about  half-way  between  the 
capital  of  the  State,  and  the  city  of  Guatimala.  The 
surrounding  country  abounds  in  springs;  indeed, 
Zonzonate  takes  its  name  from  this  circumstance  ;  it 
signifying  in  the  Indian  tongue,  'four  hundred 
springs.'  These,  meandering  in  all  directions  around 
the  country,  water  the  numerous  plantations,  and 
keep  vegetation  in  perennial  green;  indeed,  a  more 
luxuriant  growth  of  the  vegetable  kingdom  it  is  im- 


300  WOMEN    BATHING. 

possible  to  conceive  of.  The  forests  are  impenetrable, 
except  as  they  yield  to  the  axe  of  the  pioneer.  The 
cougar,  tapir,  and  tiger  make  their  lairs  in  their 
recesses,  and  not  unfrequently  commit  depredations 
upon  the  flocks  and  herds  of  the  farmers.  Myriads 
of  venomous  insects  and  serpents  infest  their  bor 
ders,  and  we  often  met  them  in  the  paths ;  as  for 
roads,  there  are  none.  The  trees  and  vines  overhang 
the  public  ways  so  closely,  as  barely  to  allow  loaded 
mules  to  pass  each  other.  Fruits  are  abundant,  and 
of  most  delicious  flavor.  The  numerous  rivulets 
afford  fine  bathing-places,  so  necessary  in  this  hot 
though  healthy  climate.  The  province  is  termed  the 
*  tierra  caliente,'  and  at  noon  we  found  the  sun 
altogether  insupportable.  A  considerable  stream, 
called  the  Rio  Grande,  crossed  by  a  very  good  stone 
bridge,  runs  by  one  extremity  of  the  town.  Its 
banks  are  exceedingly  picturesque;  at  one  place  its 
waters  are  diverted  into  a  narrow  canal,  of  about 
two  feet  in  depth.  Passing  along  its  borders,  I  no 
ticed  some  twenty  negro  women,  entirely  naked, 
seated  in  the  stream,  with  the  water  flowing  by  them 
to  their  waists,  while  they  were  unconcernedly  laving 
the  remainder  of  their  bodies.  As  spectators  did  not 
at  all  disturb  them,  I  conceived  it  to  be  a  custom  as 
common  as  it  was  refreshing,  and  from  what  I  then 
saw,  judged  that  not  unfrequently,  hours  were  occu 
pied  in  this  natural  bath.  At  any  rate,  they  were  in 
most  excellent  spirits,  and  passing  their  jokes  from 
one  to  another,  they  shook  their  fat  sides  with  laugh* 
ter.  Numbers  of  thneir  sex  and  color  were  filling 
water-jars  beside  them. 

The  vicinity  of  the  town  is  hilly.     Near  it  are  a 


AGE    OF    ZONZONATE.  301 

number  of  valuable  plantations,  belonging  to  foreign 
ers,  of  which  the  principal,  a  sugar  and  indigo 
hacienda,  is  owned  by  Dr.  Drivin,  a  French  gentle 
man.  The  vats  used  for  the  indigo,  on  his  estate, 
are  the  same  that  were  built  of  brick  and  stuccoed, 
by  the  Jesuits,  more  than  two  centuries  ago ;  they 
then  owned  extensive  landed  possessions  in  this 
neighborhood.  Dr.  Drivin  discovered  them  quite 
accidentally  on  his  lands,  and  after  they  were  cleaned 
out,  found  them  quite  as  serviceable  as  if  new. 

Zonzonate  was  once  a  city  of  considerable  mag 
nitude  and  importance.  Ruins  of  houses  and  other 
buildings,  are  to  be  discovered  at  the  extremities  of 
several  of  the  streets.  Farther  on,  the  foundations 
only  of  others,  and  the  pavements  of  the  city  are 
to  be  traced  even  beyond.  Vegetation,  which  here 
is  so  rapid  and  destructive  in  its  growth,  has  nearly 
covered  these  remains  from  the  eye;  and  by  viewing 
them  in  their  silent  shades,  the  mind  naturally  goes 
back  to  the  monuments  of  aboriginal  architecture,  so 
many  of  which  lie  hid  in  the  same  manner,  in  the 
forests  of  this  country.  The  sudden  disappearance 
of  the  vast  cities,  fortresses,  and  temples,  so  frequently 
spoken  of  by  the  Spanish  conquerors ;  the  descrip 
tion  of  which,  until  within  a  few  years,  served  only 
to  draw  a  smile  of  incredulity  from  the  modern  his 
torian,  is  now  readily  accounted  for.  Man,  to  live 
in  this  region,  must  maintain  a  constant  struggle 
with  his  vegetable  foes.  A  town  once  depopulated, 
soon  becomes  overgrown  with  vines  and  trees,  and 
wild  animals  and  hissing  snakes  make  their  homes 
in  its  deserted  chambers. 
20 


302  THE    CARNIVAL. 

Zonzonate  still  contains  a  population  of  several 
thousand.  It  is  regularly  laid  out;  the  streets  are 
wide  and  clean,  though  much  overgrown  with  grass, 
and  well  paved.  Many  of  the  houses  are  even 
elegant.  They  are  mostly  of  one  story,  built  of 
stone,  with  thick  and  massive  walls,  and  erected 
around  a  hollow  square.  The  interior  forms  a  pretty 
courtyard.  Externally,  they  are  whitewashed,  and 
have  large  unglazed  windows,  ornamented  with 
green  lattice-work.  A  rural  and  quiet  air  pervades 
the  whole  place.  Some  of  the  churches  and  con 
vents  date  nearly  three  centuries  back,  and  are  vener 
able  looking  piles.  Their  walls,  in  many  places, 
though  several  feet  in  thickness,  are  rent  widely 
asunder  —  the  effects  of  the  frequent  earthquakes 
with  which  the  place  has  been  visited. 

The  carnival  season  came  on  before  our  departure, 
and  what  the  town  lacked  in  enterprise  for  business, 
it  made  up  in  zeal  for  fun  and  deviltry.  Our  hostess 
underwent  a  visitation  from  numerous  country  cous 
ins,  who  came  in  to  witness  the  show.  All  were 
hospitably  received,  and,  with  her  former  boarders, 
made  a  large  household.  Now  we  lived  in  clover. 
Cakes  and  confectionary  were  showered  upon  us  by 
the  good  people,  who  seemed  determined  that  if  our 
religious  sympathies  refused  to  participate  in  the 
general  jollification,  there  should  be  nothing  to  com 
plain  of,  on  the  part  of  our  alimentive. 

The  town  which  but  a  day  before  was  as  quiet  as 
a  Sabbath  in  New  England,  now  became  a  scene  of 
joyful  confusion.  The  churches  were  open  for  wor 
shippers,  and  for  holy  pageantries;  theatrical  exhibi- 


THESPIAN    CORPS.  303 

tions  were  performed,  and  the  plaza  crowded  with 
eating,  drinking,  and  frolicking  thousands.  Still, 
little  or  none  of  brutal  intoxication  was  to  be  seen, 
though  aguadiente  was  as  abundant  as  water.  Every 
inhabitant  bore  arms— the  universal  custom  in  this 
province.  Their  favorite  weapon  is  the  long  two- 
edged  sword :  a  dangerous  tool,  in  the  use  of  which 
they  are  greatly  skilled.  Those  whose  means  did 
not  allow  them  this  article,  carried  a  knife ;  useful 
for  clearing  the  roads  through  the  forests,  and  in  a 
fighting  bout  capable  of  being  put  to  good  account. 
It  could  not  be  expected,  amid  the  drinking  and 
gambling  such  a  scene  gives  rise  to,  that  all  would 
pass  off  quietly.  A  brawl  ensued,  and  one  death 
was  the  consequence.  The  church,  however,  honored 
the  corpse  with  a  gorgeous  burial,  and  the  occurrence 
was  soon  forgotten. 

On  the  last  day  of  the  fete,  we  were  surprised  by 
a  benefit  from  the  Thespian  cflrps ;  though  why  we 
were  thus  distinguished,  we  were  not  able  to  divine. 
We  were  eating  our  breakfast,  when  suddenly  a 
grand  flourish  of  trumpets  and  other  martial  clangor 
caused  us  to  start  from  our  seats.  Our  landlady  ran 
in  and  baxle  us  keep  a  good  watch  over  our  goods 
and  chattels.  It  seems  she  had  no  good  opinion  of 
the  honesty  of  her  countrymen.  Scarcely  were  the 
necessary  precautions  taken,  when  the  door  was 
thrown  open,  and  the  causes  of  all  this  outcry  made 
their  appearance,  and  without  even  saying,  'by  your 
permission,  sirs,'  fairly  took  possession  of  our  room, 
vi  et  armis.  We  were  very  far  in  the  minority,  and 
therefore  came  to  the  conclusion  that  discretion  was 


304  THESPIAN    CORPS. 

the  better  part  of  valor,  and  smiled  and  welcomed 
them.  Judging  from  the  size  of  their  arms,  the 
spirits  of  their  forefathers  would  have  found  scant 
room  in  the  bodies  of  their  diminutive  descendants. 
Clothed  in  armor  cap-a-pie,  partly  tinsel  and  partly 
real,  some  of  which  bore  the  marks  of  many  a  hard- 
fought  field,  and  for  aught  I  know  protected  Alvar- 
ady  and  his  hardy  band  of  warriors,  when,  three 
centuries  previous,  they  overran  this  province,  they 
marshalled  themselves  in  single  file.  A  young  girl, 
who  would  have  been  pretty,  had  her  neck  not, 
been  deformed  by  an  enormous  goitre,  a  disease 
almost  universal  here,  and  which  renders  the  fairest 
in  features,  the  most  disgusting  in  appearance,  was 
tricked  out  as  Isabella  of  Castile.  Placing  her  in 
the  centre  of  their  group,  they  filed  around  in  quick 
step,  clashing  their  swords,  and  looking  as  fierce  and 
warlike  as  possible.  Anon,  the^  broke  out  in  a  wild 
and  not  inharmonious*  paean,  interspersed  with  theat 
rical  declamation.  This  sort  of  exercise  warmed 
their  blood  amazingly,  and  quicker  wrent  their  feet, 
as  they  marched  and  counter-marched  in  a  variety 
of  intricate  evolutions,  and  louder  swelled  their 
voices.  Had  these  feats  been  performed  elsewhere, 
they  would  have  appeared  admirably,  but  with  such 
a  wild  looking  set  of  fellows  inside,  and  half  the  cut 
throat  rabble  of  the  town  outside,  gaping  in  at  the 
doors  and  windows,  they  were  not  much  to  our  satis 
faction.  Whether  it  would  terminate  in  a  forced 
loan  on  our  purses,  or  a  general  rush  upon  our  bag 
gage,  we  could  not  determine.  Our  fears  did  them 
injustice.  After  shouting  until  they  were  hoarse, 


COUNTRY    COUSINS. 


305 


and  masquerading  until  they  were  exhausted,  they 
marched  out  as  they  carne  in,  with  a  tremendous 
din  of  wind  instruments  and  drums,  and  forthwith 
proceeded  to  wet  their  whistles  for  a  fresh  exhibition 
in  some  new  quarter.  This  harlequin-pageant,  as 
we  were  afterwards  informed,  was  intended  to  com 
memorate  the  victories  of  Ferdinand  the  Catholic, 
over  Boabdii  the  Moor ;  though  to  all  appearances, 
there  was  at  this  time  as  much  of  Moorish  blood  as 
of  the  Castilian  running  in  their  veins,  and  perhaps 
more  of  the  Quichen  than  either. 

The  festival  being  over,  our  country  cousins  pre 
pared  to  return.     Judging  from  their  accoutrements, 
travelling  had  not  much  improved  in  this  country 
since  the  conquest ;  and  probably  the  wildest  imag 
inations  had  never  conceived  of  a  coach,  much  less 
of  a  railroad  or  steamboat.     Instead  of  a  peaceful 
farmer's  family,  one  would  have  mistaken  them  for 
a   party  of  brigands,  bearing  off  children  and  fair 
maidens  to  await  a  ransom.     From  all  that  we  had 
heard  of  the  interior,  thus  far,  their  precautions  were 
by   no   means  unnecessary;    a  man's   good  sword 
being  a  much  stronger  barrier  between  himself  and 
wrong,  than  any  love  or  respect  for  law.     Over  the 
heavy  triangular  wooden  frame,  which  here  answers 
for  the  foundation  of  a  saddle,  stuffed  cushions  and 
sheep-skins  were  strapped  in  sufficient  quantity  to 
form  a  comfortable  seat,  and,  with  a  high  loggerhead 
in  front  and  back,  and  large  wooden   stirrups,  gar 
nished  with  leather  leggins,  a  safe  one.     The  reins 
and  bridle  were  of  braided  strips  of  hide,   heavily 
ornamented   with    silver    mountings ;   spurs  thickly 
26* 


306  WAR    IN    THE    INTERIOR. 

plaited  with  the  same  metal,  and  whose  rowels  were 
several  inches  in  length,  formed  no  inconsiderable 
load,  according  to  our  northern  ideas,  for  their  owner's 
heels.  But,  with  the  little  pieces  of  metal  attached 
to  them,  they  were  intended  more  to  jingle  than  to 
goad.  All  ready,  the  party  mounted ;  the  children 
were  placed  in  the  arms  of  the  grown  persons,  their 
little  hands  well  filled  with  '  dulces '  and  bonbons, 
by  their  entertainers.  The  father,  carrying  sword 
and  pistols,  headed  the  cortege;  servants  similarly 
armed  followed  in  the  rear;  and  in  this  manner  they 
started  for  their  forest  home. 

Scarcely  had  the  town  subsided  to  its  usual  degree 
of  quiet,  when  news  from  Guatimala  threw  it  into  a 
complete  ferment,  and  proved  to  us  that  if  we  would 
cross  the  country  we  must  do  it  quickly.  In  peace 
ful  times  it  was  no  pleasant  matter,  and  now  a  san 
guinary  civil  war  was  raging  the  prospect  was  any 
thing  but  cheering.  Carrera,  at  the  head  of  three 
thousand  ferocious  Indians,  after  some  severe  fight 
ing,  had  just  captured  the  city  of  Guatimala,  killed 
the  Vice  President  of  the  Republic,  and  committed 
many  excesses.  His  ill-will  was  particularly  directed 
against  foreigners,  as  they  were  supposed  to  favor  the 
administration  of  Morazan.  Indeed,  it  was  by  stir 
ring  up  the  dormant  prejudices  of  the  lowest  and 
most  ignorant  classes,  that  he  had  been  able  to  attach 
to  himself  so  large  a  party.  Hatred  and  revenge 
mingled  with  his  ambitious  views,  for  his  young  and 
beautiful  wife  had  been  ravished  by  some  troops  of 
Galvas,  the  Governor  of  the  State  of  Guatimala. 
The  religious  sentiments  of  the  mass  had  been 


INDIAN    OUTRAGES.  307 

enlisted  in  his  cause,  and  the  bigoted  portion  of  the 
priesthood  won,  by  the  assurances  of  reestablishing 
the  convents  and  monasteries,  which  had  been  broken 
up  by  the  liberal  party.  All  heretics  were  to  be  ban 
ished.  Added  to  this  fanaticism,  was  an  infatuation 
which  promised  to  be  more  deadly  still.  The  Asiatic 
cholera,  the  year  before,  had  swept  over  the  country, 
destroying  thousands,  and  in  some  instances  proving 
fatal  to  almost  entire  districts  of  Indians.  Their 
filthy  habits  aggravated  its  destructive  tendencies. 
But  Carrera  or  his  partisans,  for  he  was  then  scarcely 
more  than  a  wild,  ignorant,  and  savage  Indian,  art 
fully  spread  abroad  the  calumny,  that  the  epidemic 
was  caused  by  foreigners,  who  had  poisoned  the 
springs,  with  the.  intention  of  exterminating  the  native 
population.  This  tale,  notwithstanding  its  improba 
bility,  was  greedily  swallowed  by  the  blinded  multi 
tude,  who  are  ever  more  desirous  of  seeking  the 
causes  of  their  misfortunes  in  the  faults  of  others 
than  in  themselves.  Many  of  the  foreign  residents 
were  wealthy  men  ;  a  crime  in  the  eyes  of  the  envious 
brigands,  which  could  only  be  expiated  by  their 
property  passing  into  their  hands.  Duped  by  their 
leaders,  the  Indians  had  already  begun  to  commit 
acts  of  violence.  One  foreigner  had  been  murdered, 
and  the  Consul  of  England,  while  out  riding,  but  a 
short  distance  from  San  Salvador,  was  seized,  and 
compelled  by  the  suspicious  natives  to  drink  of  the 
water  of  twelve  different  streams,  in  such  a  quantity 
that  the  poor  man  wellnigh  burst. 

A  traveller  of  the  same  nation  was  also  waylaid, 
robbed,  and  obliged  to  drink  at  one  draught  a  bottle 


308         PREPARATIONS  FOR  JOURNEY. 

of  milk,  which  hung  at  his  saddle-bow.  A  small 
quantity  of  arsenic,  which  he  had  about  him  to  pre 
pare  bird-skins  with,  fortunately  escaped  their  obser 
vation.  Had  the  Indians  detected  it,  they  would 
have  sent  it  in  pursuit  of  the  milk.  In  fact,  foreign 
ers  of  any  nation  had  little  to  expect,  besides  robbery 
and  a  cruel  death,  from  the  roving  bands  of  either 
party,  should  they  fall  in  with  them.  Morazan,  at 
the  head  of  a  strong  force,  was  then  encamped  at 
Santa  Anna,  a  town  eighteen  miles  from  Zonzonate. 
The  roads  were  infested  with  lajdrones,  and  travelling 
was  considered  unsafe  in  any  quarter.  We  held  a 
council  of  war,  as  to  \vhat  course  it  was  advisable 
to  pursue.  Upon  the  whole,  taking  into  considera 
tion  the  revolutionary  spirit  which  had  already  begun 
to  manifest  itself  in  Zonzonate,  we  came  to  the  con 
clusion  that  we  should  not  add  to  our  dangers,  by 
being  on  the  road,  and  concluded  to  start  forthwith. 
It  was  necessary  to  be  as  quiet  as  possible  in  our 
preparations,  for  fear  some  of  the  marauders  who 
were  on  the  watch  should  learn  our  plans  and  des 
tination  and  intercept  us.  A  valuable  auxiliary 
presented  himself  at  this  time  in  the  person  of  a 
Mexicanized  Englishman,  who,  thoroughly  acquain 
ted  with  the  language  and  manners  of  the  people, 
was  intending  to  cross  the  continent  to  embark 
for  England.  Through  his  friends,  he  obtained  a 
letter  to  the  chief  of  Chiquimula,  a  large  town  which 
had  just  declared  in  favor  of  Carrera.  Our  road  lay 
directly  through  it ;  and,  in  case  of  trouble,  the  letter 
might  be  serviceable.  The  government  officers  resid 
ing  at  Zonzonate,  gave  us  passports  which  would  be 


THE    DEPARTURE.  309 

equally  useful,  in  case  we  met  with  any  of  the  troops 
of  Morazan,  though  it  was  a  question  whether  they 
would  not  have  proved  a  passport  to  greater  ill-treat 
ment,  were  they  found  upon  us  by  the  revolutionists. 
A  trusty  muleteer  and  two  arrieros  were  engaged 
as  far  as  Gualan,  a  town  on  the  borders  of  the  State 
of  Honduras. 

Three  weeks  had  been  passed  quite  pleasantly 
in  Zonzonate.  Our  worthy  landlady,  kind  to  the  last, 
loaded  our  alforcas  with  bread  and  fowls,  knowing 
that  we  should  meet  with  none  half  so  good  after 
leaving  her  threshold.  The  smallness  of  her  bill  was 
a  matter  of  universal  surprise,  expecting,  as  we  did, 
that  in  that  particular  we  should  experience  the  usual 
fate  of  travellers.  Light  as  were  the  charges,  I  hope, 
for  her  sake,  that  they  were  double  the  usual  fares ; 
her  bill  would  not  have  been  disputed  had  we  known 
them  to  be  so.  The  reception  we  experienced  on 
entering  the  country  was  so  different  from  the 
treatment  we  received  before  we  were  able  to  bid  it 
farewell,  that  it  left  a  strong  impression  on  our  minds. 
We  had  been  cautioned  against  taking  medicines 
with  us,  or  anything,  the  nature  of  whose  composi 
tion  we  should  have  any  decided  objections  to  mak 
ing  a  forced  meal  upon.  Accordingly,  our  baggage 
was  ransacked  for  all  suspicious  articles ;  pills  and 
powders,  salves  and  ointments,  lotions,  and  a  host  of 
quackery,  were  brought  from  their  lurking-places,  and 
speedily  consigned  to  destruction.  Some  hungry 
fowls  seized  upon  some  pills  which  I  threw  away, 
and  devoured  them.  Not  being  without  some  doubts 
as  to  their  salutary  effect  upon  chicken-nature,  I  was 
glad  when  the  word  was  given  to  be  off. 


310  LEAVE    ZONZONATE. 

The  lady  followed  us  to  the  door ;  and,  as  she  bade 
us  adios  caballeros,  uttered  many  good  wishes  for  a 
safe  journey.  We  thanked  her,  and  sallied  from  the 
court-yard,  a  group,  of  which  no  adequate  description 
can  be  given.  Some  women's  faces  are  said  to  in 
sure  their  protection  the  world  over.  Upon  the  same 
principle,  our  tout  ensemble  would  have  been  as  sure 
a  safeguard  ;  though,  if  we  had  fallen  in  with  any  of 
the  '  free  brotherhood,'  we  should  have  been  loth, 
notwithstanding  any  external  similitude,  to  have 
claimed  a  relationship.  The  town  had  been  searched 
for  arms.  Such  as  they  were,  they  answered  well 
enough  for  show.  We  were  ten  in  number,  includ 
ing  the  muleteers  and  our  beasts,  fourteen,  the  extra 
number  carrying  the  '  cargoes,'  as  our  baggage  was 
termed.  Our  order  of  march  was  single  file,  the  only 
one  the  nature  of  the  roads  permitted.  A  little  black 
mule  had  fallen  to  my  lot.  He  was  the  least  of  all 
mules,  but  tough  and  active.  The  saddle  with  which 
he  was  surmounted  left  little  of  him  visible,  except 
his  head  and  legs.  Two  blankets  were  thrown  over 
it,  and  a  hammock  strapped  to  its  back ;  in  front 
hung  several  pouches,  containing  the  necessary  vari 
ety  of  a  traveller's  stores,  and  an  umbrella.  In  addi 
tion  to  these  were  an  extemporaneous  cup  and  spoon, 
of  our  own  manufacture,  from  gourds.  Seated  above 
all  this  gear,  with  legs  dangling  to  the  ground,  arid 
saved  only  by  the  immensity  of  the  wooden  stirrups 
and  leather  leggins  from  many  a  hard  knock  against 
rock  and  stump,  rode  myself.  My  costume  was  such 
as  neither  sun,  rain,  nor  wind,  could  spoil.  A  pair 
of  pistols  in  my  belt,  and  a  sword  at  my  side,  com- 


CORDILLERAS.  311 

pleted  my  equipments.  My  companions  were  cer 
tainly  no  better  accoutred ;  some  of  them  might, 
without  attaching  vanity  to  myself,  be  set  down  as 
something  worse  ;  and  certainly,  a  party  of  more  la- 
drone  looking  travellers  never  gave  spur  to  horse. 

After  leaving  town,  our  path  lay,  for  some  time, 
through  a  richly  cultivated  country,  gradually  ascend 
ing  until  it  reached  the  foot  of  the  Cordilleras,  where 
it  became  more  abrupt.  We  were  travelling  towards 
the  volcano  of  Itzalco.  Every  night,  for  several 
weeks,  had  we  witnessed  its  fiery  eruptions,  and 
heard  its  bellowings.  As  we  drew  nearer  its  roar 
became  more  distinct,  and  the  earth  trembled  beneath 
its  heavy  blasts.  The  path  became  steep  and  rocky, 
but  the  mules,  accustomed  to  such  labor,  easily  bore 
us  up  the  precipitous  defiles.  We  were  now  ad 
vancing  through  a  thick  forest,  whose  giant  trees  and 
dense  foliage  were  a  subject  of  constant  admiration. 
Every  hour  the  scenery  became  more  varied  and  in 
teresting.  The  groves  were  alive  with  birds  of  the 
richest  plumage,  and  resounded  with  the  delightful 
notes  of  the  mocking-bird,  or  the  shrill  screech  of  the 
paroquet.  I  was  at  the  head  of  the  party.  In  as 
cending  one  of  the  steep  defiles,  amid  a  thick  growth 
of  trees  and  brush-wood,  I  was  startled  by  the  ap 
pearance  of  a  man  with  a  pistol  presented  at  me.  I 
saw  him  but  for  an  instant,  for  hearing  the  footsteps 
of  the  others  approaching  he  disappeared  so  suddenly, 
that  the  headmost  alone  obtained  a  glimpse  of  him. 
But  he  was  soon  forgotten  in  the  general  admiration 
of  the  novel  and  beautiful  scenes  that  were  constantly 
appearing.  All  that  is  delightful  and  dangerous  in  a 


312  CORDILLERAS. 

tropical  climate  was  around  us.  Venomous  serpents, 
disturbed  at  our  approach,  glided  away  into  thickets. 
At  times,  a  deer  would  bound  before  us.  The  gor 
geous  wild  turkey  was  seen  perched  over-head,  and 
flocks  of  turtle-doves  cooed  their  loves,  regardless  of 
our  presence.  It  would  have  been  fine  sporting,  had 
we  possessed  anything  more  destructive  than  a  pistol. 
As  it  was,  we  could  only  gratify  them  with  a  smell 
of  gunpowder,  for  the  trees  were  too  lofty  for  a  ball 
to  reach  their  retreats.  The  paroquets  replied  with 
a  scream  of  defiance ;  the  others  darted  away  in 
silence. 

The  mountain  became  even  more  difficult  of  as 
cent.  In  places,  the  path  winding  arouftd  peaks  was 
so  narrow,  with  a  wall  of  stone  on  either  side,  that 
we  were  barely  able  to  brush  through.  Our  trunks 
had  been  well  covered  with  matting,  which  saved 
them  from  being  cut  to  pieces  against  the  jagged 
points  of  projecting  rocks.  At  intervals,  we  were 
able  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  blue  ocean.  Zonzon- 
ate,  though  several  leagues  distant,  seemingly  lay  at 
our  feet,  as  it  appeared  and  disappeared  amid  the 
cluster  of  trees  about  us.  Shortly,  we  were  above 
the  region  of  clouds,  which  formed  beneath  us  an 
ocean  of  snowy  vapor,  overlaying  all  those  pleasant 
scenes.  The  sun  was  near  setting,  and  it  was  damp 
and  cold.  By  the  time  we  reached  the  rancho,  wTherc 
we  were  to  pass  the  night,  the  chilliness  had  quite 
overcome  us.  A  few  hours  before,  we  were  among 
orange  groves  and  sugar  plantations  ;  here,  the  apple, 
peach,  and  strawberry  were  in  full  blossom,  and  the 
climate  was  like  that  of  a  cold  spring  morning  in  New 


VOLCANO    OF    ITZALCO.  313 

England.  The  rancho  was  owned  by  a  Frenchman, 
who  received  us  courteously,  and  prepared  a  supper, 
to  which  our  appetites  did  ample  justice.  His  hos 
pitality  to  man  and  beast,  for  which  he  refused  to  re 
ceive  any  recompense,  was  the  more  disinterested,  as 
there  was  no  water  within  six  miles.  The  night  was 
so  cold,  that  we  lay  shivering  under  our  blankets. 
The  volcano  of  Itzalco  was  but  a  few  miles  distant, 
and  its  deep  and  tremendous  roarings  during  the 
night,  were  fearful,  and  frequently  roused  us  from  our 
slumbers.  At  every  explosion  of  its  subterranean 
gases,  as  they  escaped  from  its  cone,  the  ground  was 
shaken  violently  beneath  us,  and  the  motion  commu 
nicated  to  the  house  and  beds.  The  noise  might 
have  been  taken  for  the  asthmatic  breathing  of  a 
leviathan,  or  the  united  roaring  of  all  the  bulls  of 
Bashan.  Heavy  columns  of  smoke,  lighted  momen 
tarily  by  bright  sheets  of  flame,  shot  up,  at  intervals 
of  a  few  minutes,  and  its  boiling  fires  were  clearly 
visible,  their  blood-red  color  heightened  by  the  dark 
outline  of  the  mountains.  The  crater  is  dangerous 
to  approach,  on  account  of  the  showers  of  stones  and 
ashes  which  are  constantly  discharged  from  its  sev 
eral  orifices.  While  we  were  in  Zonzonate,  I  fre 
quently  saw  at  night  snake-like  streams  of  liquid  lava 
issuing  from  crevices  near  its  summit,  and  pouring 
down  its  rugged  sides.  This  volcano  is  yearly  in 
creasing  in  size,  and  becoming  more  destructive  in 
its  eruptions.  It  burst  forth  in  its  present  situation 
near  the  close  of  the  last  century,  and  promises  to  be 
come,  before  its  fires  are  exhausted,  one  of  the  fiercest 
arid  most  sublime  of  existing  active  volcanoes. 
27 


314  DRY    AND    WET    SEASONS. 

It  was  late  in  the  morning  before  we  were  able  to 
start,  the  mules  having  been  turned  loose  the  evening 
before  to  browse  ;  an  operation,  we  found  to  our 
cost,  much  easier  than  that  of  catching  them.  The 
scenery,  in  descending  the  mountain,  was  of  the  same 
character  that  we  had  passed  through  in  the  ascent. 
In  the  distance,  craggy  and  barren  ridges  were  dis 
cernible,  which  betokened  a  fatiguing  journey.  It 
gradually  grew  hotter ;  and  by  the  time  we  reached 
the  plains,  the  heat  of  a  noon-tide  tropical  sun  was 
pouring  its  pityless  rays  upon  our  heads.  But,  under 
the  shelter  of  my  umbrella,  and  a  broad-brimmed 
Guayaquil  sombrero^  I  travelled  quite  comfortably. 
The  contrast  between  the  western  sides  and  plains 
of  the  range  of  the  Cordilleras,  with  those  of  the 
eastern,  was  great.  The  former,  being  well  watered 
all  the  year,  is  clothed  in  perennial  green.  With  the 
latter,  it  was  the  dry  season,  answering  to  our  winter, 
and  the  ground  was  parched  and  cracked  by  the 
heat.  The  leaves  had  departed  from  the  trees  ;  all 
verdure  was  gone  ;  the  rivulets  dried  up  ;  and  barely 
a  drop  of  water  to  be  found  in  the  beds  of  the  larger 
streams.  It  was  like  crossing  a  cheerless  desert. 
Earth,  beast,  and  rider,  were  parched  with  thirst. 
During  the  rainy  season,  the  whole  appearance  of  the 
country  is  changed.  It  then  flows  with  water,  much 
of  it  is  no  better  than  a  swamp,  and  vegetation  shoots 
forward  with  astonishing  vigor. 

We  left  the  main  track,  and  struck  into  a  bye-path 
to  avoid  the  town  of  Santa  Anna,  where  Morazan, 
with  his  troops,  lay  watching  the  movements  of  Car- 
rera.  Towards  night  we  reached  an  Indian  village, 


AN    INDIAN    VILLAGE.  9     315 

six  miles  from  that  place,  and  there  prepared  to  pass 
the  night.  Our  unexpected  arrival  created  quite  a 
stir  among  the  dingy  population.  The  women,  how 
ever,  bestirred  themselves,  and  provided  a  supper  of 
stewed  beans  and  tortillas.  The  men  gazed  stupidly 
at  us.  As  we  were  slinging  our  hammocks  to  the 
trees,  preparatory  to  a  night's  repose,  several  suspi 
cious  fellows,  mestizoes,  came  up,  and  watched  all 
our  motions  attentively.  They  were  all  armed  with 
long  knives,  and  it  was  evident,  from  their  behavior 
and  conversation,  that  they  intended  to  rob  us  during 
the  night.  But  we  were  not  to  be  caught  napping. 
Having  no  lire-arms  themselves,  they  feared  ours 
greatly,  and  we  prepared  to  give  them  a  warm  re 
ception,  should  they  make  the  attempt.  Our  baggage 
was  collected  into  one  pile,  and  two  of  our  number 
stationed  themselves  upon  it;  the  remainder  retired 
to  their  hammocks,  excepting  those  whose  turn  it 
was  to  mount  guard.  Surrounded,  as  we  were,  by 
secret  foes,  all  upon  the  qui  vive,  we  could  get  but 
little  sleep ;  and  as  our  guard  paced  his  rounds,  his 
arms  reflecting  in  the  bright  moonlight,  with  groups 
of  restless  sleepers,  in  quaint  attire,  our  band  resem 
bled  more  the  encampment  of  banditti,  than  of  peace 
ful  travellers.  We  had  with  us  a  strapping  negro, 
some  six  feet  high,  who  looked  a  giant  in  comparison 
with  the  Central  Americans,  who  are  a  race  of  man 
ikins.  This  fellow  was  an  object  of  admiration 
wherever  we  went,  and,  although  the  veriest  coward 
that  ever  wielded  a  cutlass,  his  company  proved  quite 
a  safeguard,  the  inhabitants  probably  estimating  his 
prowess  by  his  size.  He  carried  a  gun  of  proper- 


316       *  CHANGE    OF    ROUTE. 

tionate  length  of  barrel  to  his  own  limbs.  Like  him 
self,  it  was  an  admirable  scare-crow,  and  would  have 
been  very  serviceable  in  supplying  us  with  game, 
had  it  not  been  deficient  in  a  lock.  This  fact  we 
took  especial  care,  for  obvious  reasons,  to  conceal. 
At  the  farther  end  of  our  encampment  was  the  In 
dian  hut,  where  we  had  supped.  The  Ethiopian 
was  on  guard,  with  his  back  to  the  house,  when  a 
shutter  was  slowly  opened,  and  several  heads  cau 
tiously  protruded,  eyeing  the  sleepers,  (as  they  sup 
posed  us,)  with  peculiar  satisfaction.  All  at  once 
they  espied  our  protecting  Sambo,  whose  huge  di 
mensions,  augmented  by  the  shades  of  night,  seemed 
to  them  a  greater  bugbear  than  ever.  A  conversa 
tion  was  then  carried  on  in  whispers,  of  which  we 
could  gather  only  that  he  was  un  grandote^  and 
altogether  too  formidable  a  subject  to  be  assaulted. 
Having  settled  the  matter  among  themselves,  they 
withdrew,  and  left  us  in  quiet  for  the  remainder  of 
the  night. 

Early  the  next  morning  we  were  off,  well  pleased 
to  leave  such  quarters.  Our  plan  \vas  now  to  strike 
into  the  least  inhabited  portions  of  the  country,  and, 
as  far  as  possible,  leave  no  track  of  our  route,  or  give 
any  hints  as  to  that  which  we  were  to  pursue.  None 
of  us  felt  disposed  to  magnify  the  dangers  of  the  way ; 
but  the  reports  of  the  fugitives,  whom  we  frequently 
met  flying  from  the  seat  of  war,  convinced  us  that 
discretion  was  the  better  part  of  valor,  and  that  it  was 
good  policy  to  give  neither  party  an  opportunity  of 
relieving  us  of  such  baggage,  as  they  might  consider 
inconsistent  with  safe  journeying,  in  so  disturbed  a 


AN    INDIAN    HAMLET.  317 

country.  Moreover,  our  muleteer  had  a  prudent  re 
gard  for  his  animals,  and  the  pay  he  was  to  receive. 
His  opinion  of  his  country  men  was  quite  as  bad  as 
ours.  By  avoiding  the  abodes  of  men,  we  met  with 
other  annoyances.  The  forests  were  alive  with 
countless  millions  of  an  insect,  called  '  garrapatos/  a 
species  of  tick,  so  minute  as  to  appear  more  like 
black  dust  than  animal  life.  Although  so  small  at 
first,  if  allowed  to  attach  themselves  to  the  body,  they 
soon  work  their  way  beneath  the  cuticle,  where  they 
grow  to  the  size  of  a  pea,  and,  unless  immediately 
extirpated,  occasion  painful  sores.  The  mules  suf 
fered  severely  from  them,  and  we  only  evaded  their 
insidious  propensities,  by  carefully  picking  and 
shaking  them  from  our  clothes  at  every  stopping- 
place  ;  a  work,  which  required  much  time  and  pa 
tience,  and  occasionally  obliged  us  to  resort  to  a  knife 
to  cut  them  out  from  beneath  the  skin. 

During  the  afternoon,  we  arrived  at  an  Indian 
hamlet,  on  the  shore  of  a  lake,  embosomed  amid 
lofty  and  precipitous  mountains.  Swans,  cranes, 
and  numerous  other  birds,  were  sporting  on  its  sur 
face,  and  near  its  banks  was  a  rare  and  beautiful  spe 
cies  of  Achatina.  It  was  so  retired  a  spot,  that  we 
determined  to  go  no  farther  before  morning.  The 
inhabitants  were  few,  primitive  in  their  habits,  and 
apparently  inoffensive.  At  all  events,  their  conduct 
was  very  different  from  those  that  we  left  in  the 
morning.  They  were  kind,  but  not  inquisitive. 
Having  prepared  our  encampment  under  the  shelter 
of  a  thatched  shed,  with  open  sides,  we  hurried  to 
the  lake  for  a  bath.  At  our  approach,  a  herd  of  wild 
27' 


97* 


318  A    SUBMERGED    TOWN. 

cattle  manifested  decided  disapprobation  at  our  in 
vasion  of  their  territory,  and  some  savage  old  bulls 
were  disposed  to  charge  upon  us.  But  a  show  of 
courage,  the  report  of  a  few  pistols,  and  more  par 
ticularly,  the  presence  of  an  Indian  lad,  caused  them 
to  yield  ground,  and  to  leave  us  in  peaceable  pos 
session. 

This  lake,  we  learned,  according  to  an  old  tradi 
tion,  was  once  the  site  of  a  large  aboriginal  town, 
which  had  been  submerged,  no  one  can  tell  how  long 
ago,  by  an  earthquake.  Its  appearance  justified  the 
tale.  It  was  situated  in  one  of  those  wild,  irregular 
districts,  such  as  it  would  be  imagined  dame  Nature 
would  select  for  some  high  frolic,  or  to  vent  long- 
pent  wrath,  caring  little  for  cities  ruined,  or  moun 
tains  rent. 

The  next  day,  my  little  mule  made  its  escape. 
It  took  the  road  that  led  to  Zonzonate,  and  occupied 
its/)wner  a  day  before  it  was  captured.  This  delay 
some  of  our  number  were  disposed  to  grumble  at ; 
but  it  proved  a  providential  circumstance.  Had  we 
proceeded  that  morning,  as  we  intended,  we  should 
have  fallen  in  with  a  party  of  ladrones,  who,  as  we 
were  afterwards  informed,  were  on  our  track;  but 
not  meeting  us,  as  they  anticipated,  gave  up  the 
chase. 

Once  again  in  the  saddle,  our  course  led  through 
a  more  fertile  country,  abounding  in  sugar  planta 
tions.  We  were  now  in  the  State  of  Guatimala, 
and  consequently  on  the  contested  ground  ;  but  the 
war  had  not  yet  reached  this  quarter,  and  we  passed 
a  quiet  night  in  the  forest,  under  the  shelter  of  a  hut. 


A    FRESH    ALARM.  319 

Early  the  ensuing  morning,  we  were  mounted  and 
away.  A  dangerous  track  of  country  lay  before 
us.  A  guide  was  obtained,  who  conducted  us 
through  tangled  morasses,  and  villainous  swamps, 
almost  impassable  then,  and  entirely  so  during  the 
rainy  season,  until  we  arrived  upon  the  border  of  a 
barren  prairie.  A  large  village  lay  some  distance  to 
the  left.  We  hurried  rapidly  on,  the  distance  pre 
venting  the  inhabitants  from  distinguishing  us  from 
a  company  of  muleteers.  The  plain  was  thickly 
studded  with  cactus,  and  abounded  with  wild  fowl, 
so  tame  as  scarcely  to  trouble  themselves  to  get  out 
of  the  way.  A  solitary  house,  rising  by  itself  from 
the  plain,  like  a  rock  in  the  ocean,  afforded  us  shel 
ter  for  the  niijht.  We  had  not  been  there  an  hour 

o 

before  a  fierce-looking  fellow,  riding  a  noble  steed? 
came  galloping  furiously  up  to  the  door,  and  after 
exchanging  a  few  words  with  the  owner,  rode  as 
rapidly  away.  Our  fears  subsided,  when  we  were 
informed  that  he  was  merely  under  the  influence  of 
aguadiente,  and  a  wedding  frolic. 

By  light  the  next  morning  we  had  drank  our 
chocolate  from  our  gourd-cups,  and  were  once  more 
on  the  road  which  was  the  common  track  to  Chiqui- 
mula,  the  capital  of  the  department  of  the  same 
name,  and  at  this  time  the  strong-hold  of  the  insur 
rectionists.  We  crossed  a  battle-plain,  famed  in  the 
revolutionary  annals  of  the  country,  and  which  still 
bore  marks  of  human  strife  upon  its  surface.  Our  ride 
was  an  excessively  wearisome  one,  and  it  was  late 
before  we  arrived  at  the  village  of  St.  Helena,  which 
we  found  in  considerable  commotion  in  consequence 


320  BAD    NEWS.* A    COUNCIL. 

of  a  levy  made  by  the  governor  of  Chiquimula  upon 
its  young  men,  for  soldiers.  We  here  got  something 
to  eat,  and  heard  bad  news.  Chiquimula  was  but  three 
leagues  distant.  If  the  plague  had  been  raging  within 
its  walls,  we  should  not  have  been  more  desirous  of 
avoiding  it.  The  officer  to  whom  we  had  letters 
had  left  but  the  day  before,  with  five  hundred 
troops,  for  Guatimala,  so  that  all  hopes  of  friendly 
interference  in  that  quarter  were  destroyed.  The 
city  was  in  great  confusion  ;  the  people  of  the  ham 
let  eyed  us  with  scowling  looks,  and  appeared  to  think 
not  all  right.  We  were  in  the  interior  of  the  country  ; 
to  retreat  was  impracticable;  to  advance  was  un 
pleasant,  to  say  the  least.  From  existing  symptoms 
it  would  be  unsafe  to  remain,  even  that  night,  where 
we  were.  A  council  was  held  in  the  house  of  the 
two  Indians,  young  men,  to  which  our  muleteers 
had  brought  us.  They  had  been  pressed  to  serve  in 
the  army,  and  were  anxious  to  avoid  the  service. 
They  appeared  to  be  clever,  honest  fellows;  our 
muleteer  was  willing  to  trust  them,  and  we  concluded 
to  do  the  same.  They  agreed  to  conduct  us  to  the 
boundaries  of  the  State  of  Honduras,  for  which  we 
were  to  pay  them  handsomely.  The  zeal  which  they 
manifested  in  our  cause  struck  us  as  favorable.  Our 
mules  were  unloaded  and  turned  out  to  feed,  while 
we  slung  our  hammocks  and  prepared  for  a  night's 
slumber.  These  preparations,  however,  were  only 
to  lull  the  suspicions  of  the  watchful  inhabitants. 
As  soon  as  they  had  retired,  and  the  darkness  favored 
our  operations,  the  mules  were  noiselessly  saddled, 
our  arms  carefully  examined,  and  we  stole  quietly 


A    NIGHT    MARCH.  321 

out  of  the  village.  By  the  time  the  moon  had  risen 
we  were  far  on  our  way  to  Chiquimula.  Journeying 
on  in  silence,  the  white  towers  of  the  city  soon  be 
came  visible. 

Until  this  time,  we  had  supposed  some  by-road 
would  enable  us  to  pass  the  city  unseen.  But  the 
guides  declared  there  was  none,  and  our  only  alter 
native  was  to  push  quickly  through  before  an  alarm 
could  be  spread.  Our  spirits  rose  with  the  danger, 
and  the  romance  of  the  adventure  had  sufficient 
charms  to  blind  us  to  what  might  be  its  fatal  realities. 
It  was  now  past  midnight,  and  the  moon  shone  bright 
and  unclouded.  We  were  confident,  that  the  intelli 
gence  of  our  design  had  not  preceded  us;  still,  no 
little  anxiety  was  felt,  as  one  by  one  we  ascended 
the  steep  ravine  which  led  to  the  town,  and  found 
ourselves  treading  its  narrow  streets. 

Silence  and  expedition  were  the  watchwords.  The 
mules  were  hurried  on,  by  dint  of  spurring  and  blows, 
to  an  unaccustomed  rapidity.  Poor  brutes!  they  had 
been  both  dinnerless  and  supperless  that  day,  and 
panting  and  almost  exhausted  by  the  extra  labor  they 
were  obliged  to  endure,  their  empty  stomachs,  as  they 
trotted  on,  began  to  give  out  sundry  distressing  sounds, 
much  like  the  ringing  of  an  empty  cask.  The  slightest 
noise  seemed  to  our  excited  nerves  louder  than  a 
chime  of  bells.  A  man  stops  our  guide.  He  informs 
him  that  we  are  country  merchants,  leaving  for  home. 
'  A  very  early  hour  to  start,'  quoth  he,  and  passes  on. 
The  centre  of  the  town  was  reached,  and  all  remains 
quiet.  Suddenly  the  guides  stop,  and  consult.  One 
leaves  us.  Can  he  prove  treacherous  ?  No ;  he 


'322  EFFORTS    TO    CAPTURE    US. 

went  but  to  reconnoitre,  and  has  returned.  The  de 
lay  gave  time  for  the  patrol  to  turn  their  backs  upon 
us,  as  they  passed  down  a  neighboring  street.  One 
minute  sooner,  and  we  should  have  been  challenged 
by  them.  Lights  were  in.  many  of  the  houses,  and 
as  we  proceeded  a  dog  barked,  and  the  bark  echoed 
from  street  to  street,  until  every  yelping  cur  in  the 
town  had  a  voice  in  the  chorus.  The  citizens  rushed 
to  their  doors,  in  astonishment  at  such  an  outcry,  and 
in  stupefied  wonder  beheld  the  curious  procession 
pass  by  them.  Two  men  with  muskets  intercepted 
our  course  ;  we  spurred  on.  The  muskets  proved  to 
be  clubs.  Even  the  mules  seemed  now  to  renew 
their  energies,  and  bore  us  so  rapidly  to  the  extrem 
ity  of  the  town,  that  we  had  fairly  passed  the  outer 
fortifications,  before  the  watchmen's  whistle  had 
spread  the  alarm  throughout  the  city  ;  and,  before  its 
thirty-seven  thousand  inhabitants  had  any  clear  idea 
of  its  cause,  we  had  gained  the  woods.  Luckily,  as 
we  afterwards  \vere  told,  all  the  horses  had  been  sent 
off  the  day  previous  with  the  expedition  against 
Guatimala,  which  alone  saved  us  from  an  immediate 
pursuit. 

Our  situation  was  now  far  from  enviable.  The 
fear  of  surprise  alone  kept  us  awake.  Hungry,  and 
exhausted  with  fatigue,  we  looked  about  for  a  lurking- 
place,  and  finally  ensconced  ourselves  in  the  rocky 
bed  of  a  dry  river.  The  mules  were  unloaded  and 
turned  out  to  rest;  the  scant  herbage  they  could 
could  glean  could  scarcely  be  called  food.  A  little 
water  was  found  for  them.  As  for  ourselves,  we  re 
mained  through  the  succeeding  day  without  shelter ; 


A    HOT    HIDING-PLACE.  323 

for  the  forest  was  entirely  leafless,  exposed  to  the 
fierce  rays  of  the  sun,  heated  to  twofold  intensity  by 
reflection  from  the  volcanic  rocks,  which  formed  our 
only  bed.  Sleep  was  altogether  out  of  the  question. 
The  heat  was  intense,  for  it  was  the  hottest  day  that 
we  had  experienced  in  the  country,  and  not  a  breath 
of  wind  to  mitigate  it.  We  dared  not  stir  from  our 
hiding-place,  for  fear  of  discovery;  and  could  "con 
verse  only  in  whispers.  Our  guides,  to  whom  the 
country  was  familiar,  went  out  reconnoitring,  and 
returned  with  the  information,  that  strict  search  was 
being  made  for  us.  Several  of  our  number  imme 
diately  protected  their  most  valuable  papers,  and  con 
cealing  them  about  their  persons  prepared  for  a 
speedy  flight  on  foot,  in  case  of  discovery.  A  hope 
less  chance,  but  one  they  preferred,  to  encountering 
the  tender  mercies  of  Carrera's  banditti.  A  few  cold 
tortillas,  the  last  of  our  provisions,  were  equally  di 
vided  ;  but  we  were  too  tired  to  eat ;  and  as  for  water, 
none,  except  the  smallest  quantity  gathered  from  the 
hollow  of  a  heated  rock,  was  to  be  had.  Never  was 
night  more  heartily  welcomed,  though  bringing  fresh 
dangers  in  its  train.  The  mules  were  again  saddled, 
and  with  the  utmost  secrecy  we  recommenced  our 
flight.  The  friendly  State  of  Honduras  was  now 
distant  but  forty  miles,  and  our  object  was  to  distance 
pursuit  by  getting  within  its  territory. 

Another  populous  town,  Zacapa,  lay  between  us 
and  Gualan,  the  boundary  town  of  the  province. 
The  whole  country  was  now  upon  the  alert,  for  ex 
presses  had  been  sent  in  every  direction  to  apprehend 
us  ;  but,  this  place  once  in  our  rear,  we  felt  assured  of 


324  A    COURIER. 

safety.  Much  time  was  consumed  in  ascending  a 
steep  mountain.  It  was  so  dark  that  objects  only  at 
a  short  distance  were  visible.  This  was  favorable  to 
us.  When  half-way  up,  a  man  on  foot,  travelling 
much  faster  than  we,  passed  our  party.  He  was  a 
courier,  bearing  an  order  to  Zacapa  for  our  arrest,  as 
we  soon  after  learned.  Upon  reaching  the  summit, 
the  lights  of  Chiquimula  could  be  plainly  seen.  Nu 
merous  watch-6res  were  also  observed  on  the  sur 
rounding  heights.  Despite  our  alarm  and  fatigue, 
we  could  not  refrain  from  a  hearty  laugh,  when  pic 
turing  to  ourselves  the  astonishment  and  chagrin  of 
its  inhabitants  at  our  audacious  exploit.  If  our  en 
tree  had  been  noiseless  and  humble,  our  egress  had 
stirred  them  up  considerably.  The  descent  of  Mor- 
azan  and  his  troops  into  their  plain  would  scarcely 
have  created  more  excitement.  But  the  times  were 
troublesome,  and  it  was  a  wild  game  that  they  were 
playing;  many  that  saw  its  commencement  lay 
senseless  and  unburied  clods  upon  the  battle-field,  or 
fell  beneath  the  assassin's  blade,  before  it  was  won. 
At  that  time  we  should  have  felt  much  more  uneasy, 
had  we  been  fully  aware  of  the  sanguinary  principle 
that  was  abroad  in  the  land.  In  this  country,  at  any 
time,  life  is  but  little  valued  ;  at  the  present  it  was 
taken  as  a  pastime,  under  circumstances  of  horrible 
cruelty,  which  in  modern  times  find  their  parallel 
only  among  the  hybrid  population,  sprung  from  the 
same  races,  in  South  America.  The  descent  from 
the  mountain  was  even  more  arduous  than  the  as 
cent.  It  was  too  dark  to  discover  even  the  path,  and 
we  trusted  entirely  to  our  mules.  They  stumbled 


A  HARD  ROAD  AND  A  THIRSTY  PARTY.     325 

frequently  over  the  loose  stones  with  which  the  road 
was  strewed,  and  after  several  hours'  severe  exertion 
carried  us  safely  to  the  dusty  plain  beneath.  We 
hurried  them  on.  The  soil  was  a  dry  chalk,  which, 
rising  in  clouds,  soon  gave  our  company  the  appear 
ance  of  a  band  of  millers;  it  also  penetrated  our 
nostrils  and  mouths,  and  irritated  the  already  burn 
ing  thirst  with  which  a  fast  of  twenty-four  hours  had 
consumed  both  man  and  beast.  It  soon  became  in 
supportable  ;  my  tongue  seemed  like  a  piece  of 
shrunken  leather,  and  rattled  strangely  around  my 
mouth.  Not  a  drop  of  moisture  could  I  conjure  up 
to  wet  my  shrivelled  lips ;  my  eyeballs  were  heated 
and  distended.  At  every  footstep  the  fine  white  dust 
rose  in  clouds,  and  settled  over  us.  Suddenly  a  joy 
ful  sound  was  heard.  It  was  the  purling  noise  of 
running  water.  Never  did  a  famishing  caravan  in 
the  wilderness  of  Arabia  hail  the  appearance  of  an 
oasis  with  more  ardor  than  we  the  sight  of  Zacapa 
river.  Down  its  banks  we  rushed.  Attached  to  my 
saddle  was  a  water-proof  basket,  such  as  is  made  in 
California.  It  had  served  thus  far  for  a  wash-basin; 
now  it  answered  for  a  drinking-vessel.  Filling  it  to 
the  brim,  I  drank  from  it  the  longest,  sweetest  draught 
that  ever  a  thirsty  traveller  knew.  Again  filling  it,  I 
plunged  my  face  into  the  cool  liquid,  bathed  it,  and 
bathed  it  again  ;  men  and  beasts  about  me  were  fol 
lowing  my  example.  It  was  at  once  the  freest  gift 
of  Providence,  and  the  most  choice  luxury  man  can 
know.  We  had  arrived  at  that  degree  of  thirst,  that 
it  would  have  been  agony  to  have  gone  farther,  un 
relieved  :  the  pleasure  of  the  first  draught  was  un- 
28 


326  PASS    ZACAPA. 

speakable.  I  filled  my  basket  for  the  third  time,  and 
spurring  my  mule  from  the  spot,  for  he  seemed 
equally  fascinated  with'its  refreshing  powers,  rode  on 
with  it  before  me,  drinking  and  dipping  into  it,  until 
by  an  unlucky  jolt  it  was  all  spilled. 

The  moon  had  arisen,  and  by  its  light  we  were 
soon  able  to  see  the  white-washed  houses  of  Zacapa 
glistening  directly  in  front.  With  the  utmost  cau 
tion,  and  in  single  file,  we  pushed  through  its  out 
skirts,  sometimes  passing  within  a  few  feet  of  houses 
where  all  appeared  buried  in  slumber.  The  very 
dogs  kept  quiet;  if  some  solitary  cur  at  intervals 
opened  his  noisy  throat,  the  cry  was  unreturned.  It 
was  a  most  lovely  night ;  and,  with  the  exception  of 
ourselves,  everything  was  as  still  as  the  grave. 
Avoiding  the  town  all  that  it  was  possible  to  do,  we 
wound  around  the  numerous  hills  in  its  vicinity,  eye 
ing  its  streets  with  suspicion,  anon  stopping  to  re 
connoitre  some  doubtful  point,  then  hurrying  breath 
lessly  onward.  Unfortunately  we  became  perplexed 
and  entangled  amid  a  labyrinth  of  cultivated  and 
enclosed  grounds.  A  hurried  consultation  ensued, 
while  the  guides  sought  an  outlet.  One  was  at 
length  discovered  ;  it  was,  however,  one  that  a  pru 
dent  regard  for  our  necks  would  have  counselled  us 
to  avoid,  but  which  the  urgency  of  the  case  com 
pelled  us  to  take.  A  steep  gulley  led  to  the  river's 
bank,  a  hundred  feet  or  so  beneath,  and  at  its  head 
stood  a  cottage.  A  fence  was  taken  down,  and  re 
placed.  Passing  so  near  the  house  as  to  brush 
against  its  eaves,  we  forced  our  mules  to  the  brink 
of  the  slippery  precipice.  With  their  characteristic 


A    DILEMMA.  327 

instinct,  they  drew  all  four  feet  together,  and  sitting 
on  their  haunches  slid  rapidly  and  safely  to  the  bot 
tom,  while  we  kept  our  seats  by  clinging  to  their 
necks.  Fording  the  river,  and  rising  the  opposite 
hill,  we  reached  a  level  plain,  with  two  paths  in  view. 
By  diverging  so  frequently  to  avoid  the  thickly-in 
habited  parts  of  the  town  our  guides  had  lost  the  run 
of  the  true  course.  One  of  them  retraced  his  steps, 
entered  the  town,  and  came  back  by  the  correct  road. 
He  reported  all  quiet,  and  we  moved  on.  Jt  was 
now  three  o'clock,  A.  M.,  and  the  distance  to  Hon 
duras  was  short,  and  the  road  plain.  Our  guides 
were  dismissed  with  an  ample  recompense,  and  they 
bade  us  good  by,  with  many  wishes  for  our  safe  re 
treat.  Another  mountain,  or  more  properly  a  long 
and  rough  hill,  was  before  us.  Sleep,  to  which  we 
had  been  strangers  for  the  last  forty  eight  hours,  be 
gan  insidiously  to  steal  over  us,  and  overpowered  the 
sense  of  hunger,  which  for  some  time  had  been 
rather  pressing  in  its  calls.  But  this  drowsiness, 
unlike  the  thirst  we  had  encountered,  was  an  agree 
able  enemy.  It  crept  over  one  so  gently,  and  with 
such  pleasing  sensations,  that  we  knew  not  of  its  ap 
proach  until  it  had  fastened  itself  securely  upon  us. 
Several  times  I  fell  asleep  on  my  mule,  and  was  only 
awakened  by  a  rude  shock  which  destroyed  my  bal 
ance.  Finding  it  impossible  to  preserve  my  seat,  I 
rubbed  open  my  eyes,  pinched  myself,  and  got  off 
and  walked.  But  this  was  of  no  use.  I  soon  again 
sank  into  a  state  of  unconsciousness,  from  which  it 
was  misery  to  be  aroused.  In  this  way  we  walked 
on,  alive  only  to  our  situation  for  a  few  minutes,  by 


328  SAN     PABLO. A    HALT. 

stumbling  against  some  protruding  stone;  then  giv 
ing  a  glance  at  the  road  ahead,  the  eyes  would  again 
close,  in  spite  of  every  exertion  to  keep  them  open, 
until  a  fresh  stumble  recalled  the  slumbering  senses- 
The  mere  pain  of  attempting  to  keep  awake  was  in 
tolerable  ;  the  hardest  rock  would  have  been  a  wel 
come  bed.  Even  the  poor  brutes  began  to  give  evi 
dence  of  the  same  unconquerable  weariness.  At 
times  they  would  come  to  a  dead  halt,  and  settle 
down,  refusing  to  proceed  farther  until  coaxed  and 
driven  by  the  muleteers. 

In  this  manner  we  reached  the  Indian  village  of 
San  Pablo,  now  mostly  deserted,  the  cholera  having 
the  previous  year  carried  off  the  greater  proportion 
of  the  inhabitants.  Passing  through  it,  we  noticed  a 
ruined  church  and  calaboose.  At  the  foot  of  the 
hill  on  which  they  stood,  we  crossed  a  small  stream. 
Gualan  was  now  but  a  few  leagues  distant.  It 
was  our  intention  to  have  crossed  the  boundary 
line  of  the  contending  States  that  morning.  Daylight 
had  already  broken,  and  both  we  and  our  beasts 
were  too  thoroughly  exhausted  to  proceed  farther. 
Rest  we  must  have,  be  the  consequences  what  they 
might.  A  couple  of  hours  would  enable  us  to  pro 
ceed.  The  loads  were  tipped  off  the  jaded  mules, 
and  they  and  their  masters,  in  less  time  than  I  have 
taken  to  write  it,  were  stretched  out  on  the  grass, 
wrapped  in  sound  slumbers. 

How  long  we  lay  thus,  I  know  not;  but  a  hoarse 
voice,  calling  us  to  surrender,  first  aroused  our  leth 
argic  faculties ;  and  the  sight  of  several  brace  of  pis 
tols  pointed  at  our  heads  soon  recalled  us  to  con- 


SLUMBERS  INTERRUPTED. CAPTURED.     329 

sciousness  of  passing  events.  The  sun  was  shining 
brightly  and  hotly  upon  us,  and  a  large  body  of  sol 
diers  stood  stupidly  gazing  at  our  prostrate  selves, 
seemingly  as  much  amazed  at  the  scene  as  we  were. 
They  were  evidently  forced  recruits,  a  puny,  ragged 
set  of  fellows,  of  all  colors,  looking  as  if  they  would 
gladly  exchange  their  muskets  and  knapsacks  for 
hoes  and  a  field  of  maize.  But  their  leaders  were 
fine-looking  men,  well-dressed  and  armed,  and 
mounted  on  good  horses.  Their  uniforms  looked 
too  new  and  shining  to  be  many  days  old,  and  their 
first  service  in  the  campaign  was  our  capture.  Of 
course  we  surrendered  peaceably  and  with  all  grace ; 
for  there  they  were  above  us,  with  their  pistols  pre 
pared  to  enforce  their  summons. 

The  sense  of  the  ludicrous  would  have  overcome 
my  gravity,  had  not  the  scowling  looks  and  fierce 
glances  of  our  captors  reminded  me  that  we  were  in 
the  hands  of  those  with  whom  power  was  law.  Here 
were  upwards  of  seventy  men  employed  to  capture 
seven  half-starved  travellers,  who,  if  their  will  to  re 
sist  had  been  good,  had  not  the  means.  Our  equip 
ments,  indeed,  excited  their  risibles,  as  they  read  the 
decree  for  our  arrest,  given  at  Chiquimula.  It  de 
scribed  us  as  a  well-armed  party  of  foreigners,  con 
veying  treasure  clandestinely  out  of  the  country,  and 
who,  in  defiance  of  their  established  regulations,  had 
passed  through  their  territories.  In  conclusion  it  en 
joined  all  patriotic  inhabitants  to  aid  in  seizing  and 
bringing  us  to  punishment.  The  paper  was  suffi 
ciently  formidable  to  have  annihilated  us.  But  its 
warlike  phraseology  proved  a  sad  stumbling-block  to 


330  AN    UNEXPECTED    FRIEND. 

the  courage  of  the  gallant  alcalde  of  San  Pablo,  who 
was  deputized  to  see  it  carried  into  effect.  His  vil 
lage  could  not  boast  a  sufficient  number  of  volun 
teers,  who  were  willing  to  risk  their  persons  in  con 
tact  with  a  party  of  '  well-armed  foreigners ; '  an.d 
had  he  not  accidentally  fallen  in  with  these  troops, 
who  were  convoying  arms  to  Chiquimula,  we  should, 
for  all  him,  have  made  our  escape.  This  he  after 
wards  confessed  to  us,  when  we  became  better 
friends.  -  As  it  was,  with  his  silver-headed  cane,  the 
insignium  of  his  office,  pointed  at  us,  in  one  hand, 
and  holding  the  order  for  our  arrest  in  the  other,  he 
ensconced  himself  behind  his  military  companion?. 
From  this  position,  so  judiciously  chosen,  he  ordered 
us  to  prison.  But  as  that  order  implied  the  neces 
sity  of  reascending  the  steep  hill  which  we  had  so 
recently  passed  over,  we  flatly  refused,  intimating 
that  if  we  went  at  all,  he  must  find  the  means  of 
carrying  us. 

The  captain  of  the  soldiers  attracted  attention  from 
the  beauty  of  his  figure  and  person ;  he  was  indeed 
a  remarkably  good-looking  man.  It  so  happened, 
that  while  we  were  cogitating  some  plan  for  escap 
ing  from  the  clutches  of  these  fellows, our  office-seek 
ing  friend,  the  spirit  of  his  profession  no  doubt  sud 
denly  inspiring  him,  remarked  that  this  captain 
looked  like  a  gentleman.  To  our  astonishment,  he 
immediately  spoke  to  us  courteously  in  English,  and 
from  his  altered  demeanor  seemed  desirous  of  retain 
ing  that  opinion.  That  chance  expression  turned 
the  scale  of  our  destiny;  and  instead  of  the  horrors 
of  a  Chiquimula  calaboose,  thoughts  of  home  took 


AN    UNEXPECTED    FRIEND.  331 

possession  of  us.  Explanations  soon  satisfied  him 
that  we  were  strangers  in  the  country,  as  desirous  of 
leaving  it  as  the  most  fanatical  of  his  party  were  for 
having  us  expelled ;  and  instead  of  treasure,  they 
themselves  were  not  more  deficient  in  the  article  than 
we.  But  what  especially  mollified  him,  next  to  the 
personal  compliment,  was  to  find  us  citizens  of  the 
United  States;  for  his  party  was  particularly  inim 
ical  to  Englishmen.  He  immediately  claimed  us  as 
compatriots,  and  said,  although  he  was  by  birth  an 
Italian,  he  considered  himself  a  citizen  of  the  great 
republic,  having  resided  there  seven  years.  The 
production  of  our  letters  to  the  commandant  of  Chi- 
quimula  wonderfully  advanced  us  in  his  favor,  al 
though  at  the  recapitulation  of  our  midnight  march 
he  shook  his  head,  and  intimated  that  it  would  have 
fared  ill  with  us,  had  we  been  apprehended.  While 
we  yankees  were  thus  insinuating  ourselves  into  the 
good  graces  of  our  adopted  countrymen,  our  Anglo- 
Mexican  auxiliary  was  no  less  dexterous  and  success 
ful  with  the  full-blooded  Central  Americans.  He 
was  accustomed  to  revolutions,  having  lived  for 
many  years  in  one  of  the  most  inflammable  states  of 
Mexico.  He  assured  them  that  their  cause  was  one 
of  the  most  glorious  on  record ;  that  history,  and 
above  all,  Mexico,  their  rival  republic,  where  he  had 
lived  so  long,  could  produce  nothing  equal  to  it.  In 
short,  he  made  them  think  so  well  of  themselves  that 
they  could  not  do  otherwise,  from  mere  sympathy, 
than  think  well  of  us,  so  that  in  a  half-hour  from  our 
capture  we  had  become  the  best  friends  possible,  and 
they  were  really  sorry  they  had  disturbed  the  slum- 


332  RELEASE. 

bers  of  so  many  gentlemen  for  so  trivial  a  cause  as 
a  paltry  alcalde.  They  undertook  to  procure  from 
the  powers  that  were,  a  release  from  any  farther  at 
tentions  on  his  part,  and  a  safe  conduct  for  the  re 
mainder  of  our  journey.  The  Italian  rode  on  to 
Chiquimula  himself,  to  see  that  the  necessary  papers 
were  sent.  We  had  made  a  strong  interest  in  the 

O 

right  quarter;  still  their  superiors  might  desire  a  per 
sonal  interview,  and  the  very  idea  made  us  nervous. 
Guards  were  placed  over  us ;  these  claimed  a  liberal 
fee  for  their  kind  protection.  Before  night,  the  al 
calde,  who  would  not  leave  us,  claimed  a  similar 
donative,  and  suggested  to  us  the  propriety  of  our 
sleeping  within  the  walls  of  the  calaboose,  as  he 
could  not  be  answerable  for  any  violence  committed 
upon  us  in  so  exposed  a  situation.  His  offer  was 
most  decidedly  declined.  There  might  be  felons 
about  us  in  the  open  air;  within  prison  walls  they 
would  have  been  nearer  still ;  and  there  is  but  one 
key  to  unlock  the  door  of  a  Spanish  jail — -a  golden 
one. 

Our  papers  arrived  the  next  morning.  Once  more 
at  liberty,  we  rode  gayly  on,  now  straggling  from  each 
other  and  the  road,  admiring  the  varied  prospect, 
shouting  and  singing  more  like  boys  escaped  from 
the  durance-vile  of  school-hours  than  sober  travellers. 
The  road  was  through  a  mountainous  but  delightful 
country ;  vegetation  was  luxuriant,  and  the  country 
bright  with  flowers.  In  the  distance  rose  the  moun 
tains  of  Vera-Paz  to  the  height  of  seven  thousand 
feet,  bounding  the  horizon  like  a  mighty  wall.  Close 
to  us  the  Motagua  river  flowed  swiftly  along;  birds, 


AN    INCIDENT.  333 

crocodiles,  and  Indian  girls,  were  bathing  in  its 
waters.  The  sun  being  oppressive,  I  raised  my  um 
brella;  two  countrymen  passing  by,  one  remarked  to 
the  other,  'the  foreigner  must  either  be  a  fool  or 
drunk,  to  raise  an  umbrella  in  a  country  where  it 
never  rained.'  At  the  same  instant,  a  gust  of  wind, 
indignant  no  doubt  at  the  imputations  cast  upon  my 
character,  undertook  to  relieve  me  of  all  suspicion, 
and  gave  it  a  whirl ;  away  it  went,  topsy-turvy,  helter- 
skelter,  over  bush  and  brier,  now  flying  high,  now 
low,  but  never  altogether  alighting.  Not  at  all  grate 
ful  for  the  zeal  so  unceremoniously  displayed  in  my 
behalf,  I  clapped  spurs  to  my  mule,  and  gave  it 
chase.  Coming  up  with  it,  I  dismounted,  thinking 
it  secure  in  my  grasp,  when  a  fresh  guft  gave  it  a 
new  impetus,  and  away  it  flew,  faster  than  before. 
Chagrined,  I  turned  to  mount  my  beast.  But  he 
gave  his  heels  a  scornful  toss,  and  took  French  leave 
also.  The  umbrella  cut  queer  antics,  but  he  cut 
queerer.  Had  he  been  any  one's  else  mule,  I  should 
have  voted  him  a  funny  fellow.  As  it  was,  I  con 
sidered  him  a  bore.  Several  times  he  allowed  me 
to  approach  near  enough  to  touch  him ;  then  he 
bounded  away  again,  and  keeping  a  few  feet  only  in 
advance,  trudged  on  as  soberly  as  if  it  were  no  joke. 
I  felt  disposed  to  bestow  a  hearty  malediction  upon 
him  for  his  impudence,  but  swallowed  it,  reflecting 
that  he  had  but  caught  the  spirit  of  the  party,  and 
his  conduct  was  fully  as  sensible  as  mine  had  been, 
with  rather  a  mulish  way  of  exhibiting  it,  to  be  sure. 
Then  he  was  such  a  little  mule,  and  we  had  been 
friends  through  so  many  toilsome  days,  that  I  could 


334  GUALAN. 

not  find  it  in  my  heart  to  strike  him ;  so  on  we 
trudged,  neighborly  as  ever,  keeping  our  respective 
distances,  till  having  lost  me  my  umbrella,  and  given 
rne  as  good  a  sweat  as  I  had  the  hour  before  given 
him,  he  quit  his  pranks,  and  returned  to  his  alle 
giance. 

Late  in  the  afternoon  we  arrived  at  Gualan,  and 
reached  the  alcalde's  just  as  he  was  issuing  an  order 
for  our  arrest.  Our  passports  set  him  right,  and  we 
put  him  into  good  humor,  by  promising  to  hire 
mules  of  him  for  our  next  day's  journey.  Gualan 
is  a  small  town  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Mota- 
gua  river,  which  empties  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  at 
Omoa.  Between  the  two  places  there  is  some  trade, 
by  means  of  large  boats.  The  few  shops  v/^iv,  \voll 
supplied  with  American  and  English  goods.  Few 
names,  I  suspect,  circulate  more  extensively  than  A. 
and  A.  Lawrence.  I  had  seen  them  before  in  Chili 
and  Peru,  in  the  cotton  linings  to  a  Hawaiian  hab 
itation,  and  here  they  were  in  the  interior  of  one  of 
the  wildest  and  least,  known  of  the  countries  of  the 
globe.  We  joined  the  inhabitants  in  an  evening- 
bath  in  the  river.  Our  Italian  friend  had  recom 
mended  us  for  quarters  to  a  lady  of  his  acquaint 
ance,  who  lived  in  a  very  large  but  very  dirty  house. 
Next  door  was  a  much  superior  mansion ;  a  fair 
young  girl  was  at  the  window.  This  house  belonged 
to  the  Italian,  and  the  girl  was  his  —  housekeeper, 
perhaps.  Our  landlady  was  old  and  crabbed.  Her 
neck  sustained  an  enormous  goitre.  With  all  her 
surliness,  she  did  not  turn  us  from  her  door.  Span 
ish  hospitality  would  have  been  outraged  at  such  an 


MICO    MOUNTAIN.  335 

act.  But  she  gave  us  a  large  shed,  mostly  filled 
with  merchandise,  for  our  sleeping  apartment.  As 
to  eating,  \ve  had  grown  accustomed  to  short  com 
mons,  but  hers  were  but  a  touch  above  actual  starva 
tion.  We  were  obliged  to  remain  one  day  under 
her  roof,  and  the  bill  she  produced  was  proportion 
ate  only  to  her  want  of  amiability.  We  gladly  paid 
it  for  the  privilege  of  being  out  of  the  hearing  of  her 
tongue. 

Leaving  Gualan,  in  two  days  we  reached  a  ran- 
cho  at  the  foot  of  Mico  mountain,  which  was  as  far 
as  our  mules  had  been  hired  for.  The  country  through 
which  we  rode,  was  equally  as  rich,  though  differing 
in  features  from  the  Pacific  side.  It  was  a  luxurious 
wilderness ;  but  few  inhabitants  were  met  on  the 
whole  route;  the  land  was  broken  and  mountainous, 
covered  with  greensward  and  a  growth  of  noble 
forest  trees.  They  were  so  free  from  underbrush, 
that  the  landscape  in  many  places  resembled  more  a 
cultivated  park  than  the  wildness  of  nature. 

Mico  mountain,  the  great  highway  from  the  gulf 
into  the  interior  of  the  country,  lay  before  us.  All 
the  fatigue  that  we  had  heretofore  undergone  was 
nothing  compared  with  the  trip  over  '  the  mountain.' 
The  distance  to  Isabel  is  but  a  few  miles,  but  those 
miles  require  a  day  of  unremitting  toil.  Mules  are 
kept  expressly  for  this  travel,  and  a  more  trying  road 
for  man  or  beast  cannot  be  found.  Rocks  and  mud, 
sloughs  and  precipices,  fallen  trees  and  tangled  veg 
etation,  rain,  and  a  slippery,  soft  soil,  so  overshadow 
ed  by  the  forest  as  to  entirely  exclude  the  rays  of  the 
sun,  have  all  conspired  to  produce  the  worst  possible 


336  MICO    MOUNTAIN. 

road.  Several  times  the  animals  foundered  in  the 
mud  ;  as  often  they  tripped  over  stones,  or  rolled 
down  some  slippery  pass.  Their  motion  over  the 
best  part  of  the  way  was  like  that  of  a  small  vessel 
in  a  heavy  cross  sea,  of  a  calm  day,  twisting,  pitch 
ing,  and  rolling  every  way  at  once.  We  had  no 
time  to  expend  our  sympathies  on  them  ;  it  was  as 
much  as  we  could  attend  to,  to  keep  ourselves  from 
being  brained  against  huge  overhanging  branches, 
or  our  limbs  from  being  crushed  by  projecting  rocks. 
The  water  lay  several  feet  deep  in  holes ;  blue  mud 
in  others.  Roots  of  trees  like  complicated  net- work 
obstructed  the  path.  In  single  file,  the  mules  slowly 
proceeded,  now  cautiously  feeling  their  way  ;  anon 
making  a  false  step,  and  rolling  themselves  and  rider 
on  the  spongy  earth  ;  but  the  road  is  indescribable  ; 
suffice  it  to  say,  that  having  'crossed  the  mountain,' 
\ve  rode  for  a  mile  or  more  through  the  bed  of  a 
river.  So  plastered  were  we  from  head  to  foot  with 
red  clayey  mud,  that  water  could  not  efface  it,  and 
we  made  our  entree  into  Isabel  in  just  such  a  plight 
as  all  travellers  from  the  same  direction  appear. 
The  inhabitants  were  accustomed  to  the  sight ;  else 
where  we  should  have  been  mistaken  for  animated 
masses  of  soil.  We  had  letters  to  a  rich  old  Span 
iard,  or  rather  we  had  had  them,  and  they  were  lost ; 
riding  to  his  door,  we  endeavored  to  explain  matters, 
but  he  churlishly  ordered  us  off,  adding  that  we  were 
suspicious  looking  fellows,  and  he  would  have  noth 
ing  to  do  with  us.  A  glance  at  our  array  convinced 
me,  that,  as  far  as  appearances  were  concerned,  he 
was  not  much  out  of  the  way,  and  I  forgave  him,  as 


ISABEL.  337 

trouble,  mistrust,  and  cruel  deeds  were  stalking 
abroad  over  the  land.  Turning  from  his  house,  we 
secured  a  resting-place  in  the  hut  of  a  less  captious 
individual.  Having  bathed,  we  slung  our  hammocks 
for  a  night's  rest.  But  it  was  a  season  of  festival 
among  the  tawny  population,  and  fire-works,  drums, 
trumpets,  and  shouting  kept  us  awake  until  near 
morning.  Our  baggage  arrived  during  the  day, 
though  somewhat  contrary  to  our  expectations,  as  it 
was  reported  to  contain  treasure.  But  everywhere 
we  found  the  muleteers  civil  and  honest. 

Isabel  is  a  flourishing  town,  of  recent  growth, 
though  in  a  most  unhealthy  location.  It  is  bordered 
by  low,  wet  land,  covered  with  the  dankest  vegeta 
tion.  Rains  are  very  abundant,  and  the  heat  of  the 
sun  overpowering.  Indeed,  it  is  considered  no  better 
than  a  grave,  for  a  foreign  constitution.  The  inhab 
itants  are  thin  and  sallow.  Despite  its  climate,  and 
the  execrable  Mico  mountain,  it  has  become  the 
principal  port  of  entry  for  the  eastern  coast  of  Cen 
tral  America.  It  is  situated  on  the  Gulf  of  Dulce? 
so  called  from  the  sweetness  of  its  waters,  and  fifty 
miles  from  its  mouth.  Through  this  avenue  most  of 
the  goods  destined  for  the  interior  are  sent,  and  re 
turns  made  in  indigo  and  cochineal.  There  were  a 
few  wooden  houses,  covered  with  mould,  but  which 
looked  as  if  they  had  been  imported  from  the  United 
States.  Vessels  drawing  above  eight  feet  of  water 
cannot  cross  the  bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  gulf.  A 
fine  Spanish  schooner,  bound  in  a  few  weeks  for 
Havana,  lay  off  the  town.  It  was  not  pleasant 
to  be  obliged  to  wait  so  long  to  leave  so  detestable  a 
29 


388  GULF    OF    DULCE. 

place.  Luckily  in  a  few  days  an  English  steamer 
arrived  ;  she  was  to  leave  again  in  a  short  time  for 
the  bar.  The  authorities  obliged  us  to  pay  five  dol 
lars  each  for  the  privilege  of  leaving  their  soil.  We 
bade  them  aclios  with  a  right  good  will,  and  embark 
ed  in  the  steamer.  The  scenery  of  the  gulf  proved 
exceedingly  interesting ;  as  it  approaches  the  ocean 
it  narrows  to  a  river  of  but  a  few  rods  in  width. 
On  either  side,  the  banks  presented  a  wall  of  rock 
from  three  to  five  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  covered 
with  vegetation.  The  luxuriant  foliage  spread  itself 
to  the  water's  edge  ;  and  shrubs  and  trees  attached 
themselves  to  the  rock  in  such  profuseness  as  to  leave 
scarcely  a  trace  of  it  visible.  This  portion  of  the 
river  is  eight  miles  in  length,  and  very  serpentine. 
At  intervals  the  boat  appeared  to  be  enclosed  within 
a  basin  of  solid  stone,  with  no  outlet  except  the  sky 
above.  Through  these  wild  gorges  the  steamer 
rushes  with  great  rapidity,  and,  with  the  additional 
power  of  steam,  propelled  the  boat  so  fast  that  noth 
ing  less  than  magic  seemed  to  save  her,  as  her  bow 
dashed  around  some  projecting  palisade,  her  stern 
almost  touching  the  opposite  mountain  rampart.  In 
one  of  the  craggy  crevices,  a  spring  of  water 
was  boiling  up  through  the  superincumbent  cold, 
creating  a  constant  volume  of  stearn. 

The  steamer  went  no  further  than  the  bar.  The  coast 
was  low,  and  covered  with  giant  trees,  under  the  shade 
of  which  negro  wood-cutters  had  built  their  huts. 
A  long  ground-swell  came  lazily  tumbling  in.  We 
boarded  a  New  York  brig,  that  was  lying  here,  taking 
in  a  cargo  of  mahogany.  Some  of  our  party  concluded 


BOAT    NAVIGATION.  339 

to  remain  on  board  until  her  departure  for  the  United 
States.  Three  of  us  chartered  a  boat,  with  a  couple 
of  negro  boys,  to  take  us  to  the  English  settlement  at 
Balize.  The  boat  had  something  of  a  deck,  and 
sailed  very  well.  But  we  were  more  cramped  and 
confined  in  her  than  we  had  previously  been  on  our 
mules.  The  black  urchins  were  careless  ;  the  weather 
proved  rainy  and  squally  ;  we  were  repeatedly  wet, 
and  dried  again  by  the  scorching  sun.  We  dared 
not  sleep  under  cover,  except  when  it  was  calm,  for 
fear  of  being  capsized.  The  wind  being  ahead  most 
of  the  time,  we  were  four  days  before  reaching  Ba 
lize.  Our  course  lay  through  the  Cayos,  or  Keys, 
numerous  little  islands,  with  which  this  coast  is  bor 
dered,  forming  a  most  picturesque  archipelago.  They 
were  formerly  a  great  resort  for  bullock-hunters  and 
buccaneers.  A  few  runaway  negroes  now  form 
their  sole  population.  Some  of  them  are  large, 
verdant  islands,  well  stocked  with  game ;  others 
are  from  a  rood  to  an  acre  only  in  extent,  formed 
entirely  of  the  roots  of  shrubs  and  trees  growing  ap 
parently  from  out  the  sea,  with  but  such  slight  soil 
as  such  a  loose  chevaux  de  frise  can  sustain.  The 
navigation  among  these  numerous  islands  in  good 
weather  is  delightful.  The  water  shoals  in  many 
places  to  a  few  feet  only  in  depth,  affording  the  voy 
ager  a  fine  view  of  the  submarine  garden,  which, 
with  its  corals,  madrepores,  shells,  and  fishes  darting 
among  them,  affords  an  almost  endless  variety  of 
tints  and  shapes.  Indeed,  it  may  well  compare 
with  a  meadow,  blooming  with  flowers.  By  the 
third  day,  our  provisions  and  water  were  all  con- 


340  BALIZE. 

sumed ;  on  a  small  island  a  little  of  the  latter,  muddy 
and  brackish,  was  discovered.  Our  tea  held  out,  and 
by  making  it  very  strong  it  proved  a  stimulus,  though 
not  much  of  a  nutriment,  to  our  exhausted  frames. 
By  the  time  the  anchor  was  dropped  in  the  harbor  of 
Balize,  we  were  completely  famished,  and  in  addi 
tion,  I  was  attacked  by  fever  and  chills ;  mementos 
of  my  trip,  which  stuck  close  to  me  for  months  af 
terwards. 

In  the  afternoon,  I  strolled  about  the  town.  It 
is  a  place  of  considerable  trade,  being  an  enterport 
for  goods  for  Guatimala,  Honduras,  and  the  southern 
states  of  Mexico.  During  the  business  season,  its 
population  is  greatly  increased,  by  settlers  along  the 
coast,  who  come  in  to  sell  their  lumber  and  purchase 
their  supplies  for  the  wood-cutting  season,  Its  ex 
ports  amount  to  two  millions  of  dollars  annually. 
Approaching  it  from  the  sea,  it  appears  much  like 
one  of  our  neat,  wooden-built  towns  in  New  Eng 
land.  We  were  the  more  struck  with  its  home-like 
appearance,  from  the  contrast  it  presented  with  the 
massive  and  low  stone  habitations  and  cane  huts  of 
the  country  we  had  just  left.  The  neighboring 
country  is  a  mere  swamp,  with  a  river  running 
through  it,  which  bisects  the  town,  and  is  spanned 
by  a  handsome  bridge.  All  the  land  is  made ;  much 
of  it  is  brought  from  England  ;  there  being  a  law  re 
quiring  every  vessel  to  bring  a  certain  quantity  of 
earth  as  ballast ;  so  that  its  inhabitants,  though  exiled 
from  the  homes  of  merry  England,  to  one  of  the  least 
desirable  spots  for  a  residence,  still  may  be  said  to 
dwell  on  English  soil.  The  town  consists,  principal- 


ARRIVE    HOME.  341 

ly,  of  two  streets,  running  parallel  with  each  other 
and  the  water, for  about  two  miles.  The  government 
buildings  and  Episcopal  church  are  neat,  and  in  good 
taste  ;  but  the  dampness  of  the  climate  has  left  its 
marks  upon  the  wooden  structures,  greatly  disfigur 
ing  them. 

On  the  24th  of  March,  I  arrived  at  New  York  in 
an  English  brig;  thus  completing  the  catalogue  of 
disagreeables  of  the  trip  home  from  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  by  arriving  on  the  coast  in  the  most  stormy 
month  in  the  year.  I  landed  fully  convinced,  that  if 
Cape  Horn  is  the  longest  way  home  it  is  not  the 
most  uncomfortable,  that  Mico  mountain  is  far 
worse  than  a  Cape  Pillar  blow,  and  a  midnight  ride 
through  Chiquimula  somewhat  more  wearisome  than 
the  home  latitudes,  though  one  may  be  « homeward 
bound.' 


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MEMOIR  OF  JAMES  JACKSON,  JR.,  M.  D.  By  his  Father. 
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STEWART'S  ELEMENTS  OF  THE  HUMAN  MIND.  8vo. 
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PICTORIAL  NATURAL  HISTORY,  with  400  Cuts.  By  S.  G. 
GOODRICH.  IGtno. 

STORY'S  MISCELLANEOUS  WRITINGS.     8vo. 

WARK  ON  THE  FORMATION  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN 
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